Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a carcinogenic mycotoxin widely present in foods and animal feeds; it represents a great risk to human and animal health. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Penthorum chinense Pursh compound (PCPC) against AFB1-induced damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis via mitochondrial pathways in kidney tissues of broilers. One-day-old chickens (n = 180) were randomly allocated to six groups: control, AFB1 (2.8 mg AFB1/kg feed), positive drug (10 mLYCHT/kg feed), and PCPC high, medium, and low-dose groups (15, 10, and 5 ml PCPC/kg feed, respectively). AFB1 treatment reduced weight gain and induced oxidative stress and kidney damage in broiler tissues; however, PCPC supplementation effectively enhanced broiler performance, ameliorated AFB1-induced oxidative stress, and inhibited apoptosis in the kidneys of broilers. The mRNA expression levels of mitochondria-related apoptosis genes (Bax, Bak, cytochrome c, caspase-9, and caspase-3) were significantly increased, whereas BCL2 expression level decreased in the AFB1 group. Supplementation of PCPC to the AFB1 group significantly reversed the changes in mRNA expression levels of these apoptosis-associated genes compared to those in the AFB1 group. The mRNA levels of NRF2 and HMOX1 in the kidneys of the AFB1 group were significantly reduced compared to those in the control group, whereas PCPC significantly increased the NRF2 and HMOX1 mRNA levels. AFB1 decreased the levels of Beclin1, LC3-I, and LC3-II and increased P53 levels in the kidney compared to those in the control, whereas PCPC significantly reversed these changes to normal levels of autophagy-related genes compared to those in the AFB1 group. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that PCPC ameliorated AFB1-induced oxidative stress by regulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes and mitochondrial pathways. Our results suggest that PCPC represents a natural and safe agent for preventing AFB1-induced injury and damage in broiler tissues.
Highlights
Aflatoxins are carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus fungi, among which aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most toxic and widely present in various foods and feeds and represents a serious risk to human and animal health [1, 2]
Penthorum chinense Pursh compound (PCPC) and positive drug supplementation significantly ameliorated these adverse effects by decreasing the kidney index and serum urea and uric acid (UA) levels compared to those in the AFB1 group (Figure 2)
The present study evaluated the protective effect of PCPC against AFB1-induced kidney toxicity in broilers and determined the mitochondrial apoptosis-related pathways associated with PCPC and AFB1 treatments
Summary
Aflatoxins are carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus fungi, among which aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most toxic and widely present in various foods and feeds and represents a serious risk to human and animal health [1, 2]. AFB1 produced by moldy feed causes liver, kidney, and other organ damage and inhibits the immune function of the body which considerably affects the growth performance of livestock and poultry, thereby causing huge losses to the livestock and poultry breeding industry globally [3,4,5]. AFB1 and its metabolites (AFM1) may accumulate in meat products, which represents a serious risk to human health [6]. The toxic effects of AFB1 are mainly mediated via oxidative stress; AFB1 induces the formation of free radicals and inhibits the production of antioxidant enzymes, which leads to an imbalance between oxidation and anti-oxidation and increases oxidative damage [14]
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