Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) toxicity in livestock and human beings is a major economic and health concern. Natural polyphenolic substances with antioxidant properties have proven to be effective in ameliorating AFB1-induced toxicity. Here we assessed the potential anti-AFB1 activity of curcumin (pure curcumin, C, and curcumin from Curcuma longa, CL) in a bovine fetal hepatocyte-derived cell line (BFH12). First, we measured viability of cells exposed to AFB1 in presence or absence of curcumin treatment. Then, we explored all the transcriptional changes occurring in AFB1-exposed cells cotreated with curcumin. Results demonstrated that curcumin is effective in reducing AFB1-induced toxicity, decreasing cells mortality by approximately 30%. C and CL induced similar transcriptional changes in BFH12 exposed to AFB1, yet C treatment resulted in a larger number of significant genes compared to CL. The mitigating effects of curcuminoids towards AFB1 toxicity were mainly related to molecular pathways associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory response, cancer, and drug metabolism. Investigating mRNA changes induced by curcumin in cattle BFH12 cells exposed to AFB1 will help us to better characterize possible tools to reduce its consequences in this susceptible and economically important food-producing species.
Highlights
Aflatoxins (AFs) are secondary metabolites mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus [1]
We investigated the catalytic activity of two key enzymes involved in the antioxidant response and in Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) bioactivation, i.e., NQO1 (NAD(H):quinone oxidoreductase 1) and CYP3A, here reported to be transcriptionally modulated by treatments
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the potential benefits of curcuminoids in AFB1-exposed bovine cells by combining cytotoxicity, whole-transcriptomic signatures, and specific post-transcriptional confirmatory assays
Summary
Aflatoxins (AFs) are secondary metabolites mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus [1]. They are difuranocoumarin derivatives comprising aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, M1, and M2. Exposure to AFB1 through contaminated food ingredients might have severe implications in farmed animals, such as liver damage, nutritional or immunological consequences. These effects are associated to decreased growth and productivity [5,6,7,8], leading to significant economic losses [9,10]
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