Abstract
(1) Background and (2) Methods: A 14-day in vivo, multitoxic (pure mycotoxins) rat experiment was conducted with zearalenone (ZEA; 15 μg/animal/day), deoxynivalenol (DON; 30 μg/animal/day) and fumonisin B1 (FB1; 150 μg/animal/day), as individual mycotoxins, binary (FD, FZ and DZ) and ternary combinations (FDZ), via gavage in 1 mL water boluses. (3) Results: Body weight was unaffected, while liver (ZEA↑ vs. DON) and kidney weight (ZEA↑ vs. FDZ) increased. Hepatocellular membrane lipid fatty acids (FAs) referred to ceramide synthesis disturbance (C20:0, C22:0), and decreased unsaturation (C22:5 n3 and unsat. index), mainly induced by DON and to a lesser extent by ZEA. The DON-FB1 interaction was additive on C20:0 in liver lipids. In renal phospholipids, ZEA had the strongest effect on the FA profile, affecting the saturated (C18:0) and many n6 FAs; ZEA was in an antagonistic relationship with FB1 (C18:0) or DON (C18:2 n6, C20:1 n9). Hepatic oxidative stress was the most expressed in FD (reduced glutathione and glutathione peroxidase), while the nephrotoxic effect was further supported by lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde) in the DON treatment. (4) Conclusions: In vivo study results refer to multiple mycotoxin interactions on membrane FAs, antioxidants and lipid peroxidation compounds, needing further testing.
Highlights
The contamination of cereals with mycotoxins is a worldwide problem
In a novel in vivo, multitoxic approach, rats were exposed to ZEA, DON and fumonisin B1 (FB1), as individual mycotoxins, as well as in their binary and ternary combinations, for 14 days, via gavaging a single toxin bolus per day
ZEA had the strongest effect on the fatty acids (FAs) profile, affecting stearic acid and most n6 FAs; ZEA was, in most cases, in an antagonistic relationship with FB1 or DON
Summary
The contamination of cereals with mycotoxins is a worldwide problem. The diversity of mycotoxins is enormous, a rather important sub-group is the Fusarium toxins, produced by divergent fungal species of the Fusarium genus. Fusarium mycotoxins are the most frequently occurring mycotoxins worldwide and fumonisin B1 (FB1 ), deoxynivalenol (DON). Zearalenone (ZEA) are the most likely to co-occur [1,2,3,4,5]. For the different individual fusariotoxins, the target organs, the mode of toxic action and the physiological indicators have been established in detail. FB1 has a long-chain hydrocarbon unit, and disturbs or inhibits ceramide synthesis with further, cell membrane homeostasis associated consequences in vertebrates.
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