Daphnia magna model for the study of mycotoxins present in food: Gliotoxin, ochratoxin A and its combination

Abstract

Mycotoxins are low molecular weight compounds present in food and feed. Although their effects on human health have been widely described, their mechanisms of action are still undefined. Gliotoxin (GTX) and ochratoxin A (OTA) are among the most dangerous mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus spp. Therefore, their toxicity was studied in the Daphnia magna model, which has high capacity to predict cytotoxicity and assess ecotoxicity, comparable to mammalian models. The study consisted of a series of tests to evaluate the effects of mycotoxins GTX, OTA and their combinations at different dilutions on Daphnia magna that were conducted according to standardized OECD 202 and 211 guidelines. The following assays were carried out: acute toxicity test, heartbeat, delayed toxicity test, reproduction, growth rate test. Reproducibility was determined by observing the offspring after 21 days of GTX exposure. In acute and delayed toxicity transcript levels of genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism (mox, gst, abcb1, and abcc5), and oxidative stress (vtg-SOD) were analyzed by qPCR. GTX showed acute toxicity and decreased heart rate in D. magna compared to OTA. On the other hand, OTA showed a delayed effect as evidenced by the immobility test. Both mycotoxins showed to increase genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism, while only the mycotoxin mixture increased oxidative stress. These results suggest that the mycotoxins tested could have negative impact on the environment and human health.