Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a widely spread mycotoxin contaminates food and feed, causing severe oxidative stress damages and immunotoxicity. Grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSPE), a natural antioxidant with wide range of pharmacological and medicinal properties. The goal of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of GSPE against AFB1-induced immunotoxicity and oxidative stress via NF-κB and Nrf2 signaling pathways in broiler chickens. For the experiment, 240 one-day old Cobb chicks were allocated into four dietary treatment groups of six replicates (10 birds per replicate): 1. Basal diet (control); 2. Basal diet + AFB1 1mg/kg contaminated corn (AFB1); 3. Basal diet + GSPE 250 mg/kg (GSPE); 4. Basal diet + AFB1 1 mg/kg + GSPE 250 mg/kg (AFB1 + GSPE). The results showed that GSPE significantly decreased serum inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-6 induced by AFB1. Similarly, GSPE + AFB1 treated group revealed a significant decrease in mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6) in the splenic tissue compared to the AFB1 treatment group. In addition, western blotting results manifested that GSPE treatment normalized the phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B (p65) and the degradation of IκBα protein induced by AFB1. Furthermore, GSPE enhanced the antioxidant defense system through activating the nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2) signaling pathway. The mRNA and protein expression level of Nrf2 and its down streaming associated genes were noted up-regulated by the addition of GSPE, and down-regulated in the AFB1 group. Taken together, GSPE alleviates AFB1-induced immunotoxicity and oxidative damage by inhibiting the NF-κB and activating the Nrf2 signaling pathways in broiler chickens. Conclusively, our results suggest that GSPE could be considered as a potential natural agent for the prevention of AFB1-induced immunotoxicity and oxidative damage.
Highlights
Mycotoxins are hazardous to human and animals health worldwide because of their frequent occurrence in food and/or feedstuffs, and high probability to affect human health, and livestock and poultry productivity [1,2]
Our results indicated that Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) could activate the nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2), resulting in enhancing the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), GPx1, NQO1, and glutamate-cysteine ligase ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), leading to improve the oxidative stress resistance, maintain the redox balance and enhance the resistance ability to oxidative stress induced by Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in the liver of broilers
Our findings indicated that the exposure to AFB1 could exacerbate inflammatory response, immunotoxicity and oxidative damage in broilers
Summary
Mycotoxins are hazardous to human and animals health worldwide because of their frequent occurrence in food and/or feedstuffs, and high probability to affect human health, and livestock and poultry productivity [1,2]. The most common natural aflatoxins found in food and/or feed materials are B1 , B2 , G1, and G2 type. AFB1 can affect several organs at a time, and classified as a Group-1 carcinogen to humans, with no safe dose [7]. It has hepatotoxic, immunotoxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and other adverse health effects on humans and animals [8,9,10]. AFB1 can severely affect the immune system, AFB1 immunosuppressive nature is the well-documented area of its toxicity [11]. AFB1 can alter the size of the immune system organs, and severely altering the immunological functions in chickens [12]. Its functional ability in the generation, maturation, and storage of lymphocytes plays an important role in the humoral and cellular immune responses [14]
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