Catharanthus roseus: Detoxification and Hepatic Protection of Aflatoxin B1

Abstract

Aflatoxins are a group of carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced by certain strains of Aspergillus species that are a serious food safety issue throughout the world. These fungi are common contaminants of groundnut, maize, rice, cottonseed, tree nuts, and other commodities. The major types of aflatoxins include B1, B2, G1, and G2, which have been detected as contaminants of crops in the field and during storage, transportation, and processing. Among the 20 different types of aflatoxins identified so far, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is considered the most toxic. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aflatoxins as class I human carcinogens. Plant derivatives and secondary metabolites are being used for the treatment of liver cancer and hepatic protection. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 80% of the world’s inhabitants rely on traditional medicine for their primary health care. In this chapter, we discussed about the effectiveness of aqueous extracts of Catharanthus roseus medicinal plant in detoxification of AFB1. The results revealed that the aqueous extracts of Catharanthus roseus effectively reduced the growth of Aspergillus flavus and inhibited the maximum level of AFB1 production when compared to other medicinal plants. Degradation of AFB1 in the mixture with C. roseus plant extracts revealed a loss of over 90% of AFB1 suggesting that aqueous extract of C. roseus has the ability to degrade the AFB1 at maximum level. In addition to that, methanolic fraction of C. roseus leaf extract was evaluated against hepatocellular carcinoma induced by AFB1 in experimental mice. The results suggested that C. roseus could be able to protect the liver against the AFB1-induced oxidative damage in mice. This chapter covers the information regarding the risk of postharvest diseases and AFB1 contamination in agricultural products, detoxification, and hepatic protection of AFB1 by C. roseus.