Beauvericin-induced cytotoxicity via ROS production and mitochondrial damage in Caco-2 cells

Exploration of beauvericin's toxic effects and mechanisms in human astrocytes and N-acetylcysteine's protective role

Beauvericin (BEA) is a newly identified mycotoxin produced by various Fusarium species, and its contamination in food and animal feed is widespread globally. This mycotoxin demonstrates cytotoxic effects by inducing oxidative stress in multiple models. Furthermore, evidence indicates that BEA possesses diverse toxic activities, making it a promising candidate for toxicological research. Recent studies have highlighted the ability of BEA to traverse the blood-brain barrier, suggesting its potential neurotoxicity. However, limited information is available regarding the neurotoxic effects of BEA on human astrocytes. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the neurotoxic effects of BEA on the Gibco® Human Astrocyte (GHA) cell line and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the protective effects of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) against BEA-induced toxicity. The data show that exposure to BEA within the 2.5-15 μM concentration range resulted in concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. BEA-treated cells exhibited significantly increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), while intracellular glutathione (GSH) content was significantly reduced. Western blot analysis of cells treated with BEA revealed altered protein levels of Bax, cleaved caspase-9, and caspase-3, along with an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, indicating the induction of apoptosis. Additionally, BEA exposure triggered antioxidant responses, as evidenced by increased protein expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1. Significantly, pretreatment with NAC partially attenuated the significant toxic effects of BEA. In conclusion, our findings suggest that BEA-induced cytotoxicity in GHA cells involves oxidative stress-associated apoptosis. Furthermore, NAC demonstrates potential as a protective agent against BEA-induced oxidative damage.

PI3K/Akt/FoxO Pathway Mediates Antagonistic Toxicity in HepG2 Cells Coexposed to Deoxynivalenol and Enniatins

The emerging mycotoxins enniatins (ENNs) and the traditional mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) often co-contaminate various grain raw materials and foods. While the liver is their common target organ, the mechanism of their combined effect remains unclear. In this study, the combined cytotoxic effects of four ENNs (ENA, ENA1, ENB, and ENB1) with DON and their mechanisms were investigated using the HepG2 cell line. Additionally, a population exposure risk assessment of these mycotoxins was performed by using in vitro experiments and computer simulations. The results showed that only ENA at 1/4 IC50 and ENB1 at 1/8 IC50 coexposed with DON showed an additive effect, while ENB showed the strongest antagonism at IC50 (CI = 3.890). Co-incubation of ENNs regulated the signaling molecule levels which were disrupted by DON. Transcriptome analysis showed that ENB (IC50) up-regulated the PI3K/Akt/FoxO signaling pathway and inhibited the expression of apoptotic genes (Bax, P53, Caspase 3, etc.) via phosphorylation of FoxO, thereby reducing the cytotoxic effects caused by DON. Both types of mycotoxins posed serious health risks, and the cumulative risk of coexposure was particularly important for emerging mycotoxins.

Involvement of pro-inflammatory mediators and cell cycle disruption in neuronal cells induced by gliotoxin and ochratoxin A after individual and combined exposure

Mycotoxins such as gliotoxin (GTX) and ochratoxin A (OTA) are secondary metabolites of Aspergillus and Penicillum found in food and feed. Both mycotoxins have shown to exert a detrimental effect on neuronal activity. The following study was carried out to elucidate the mechanisms by which GTX and OTA exert their toxicity. Non-differentiated SH-SY5Y neuronal-like cells were treated with GTX, OTA and their combinations to assess their cytotoxic effect using the MTT assay during 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure. Based on the results of the cytotoxic assays, cell cycle proliferation and immunological mediators were measured by determining the production of IL-6 and TNF-α using flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. The IC50 values obtained were 1.24 and 1.35 µM when SH-SY5Y cells were treated with GTX at 48 h and 72 h, respectively. IC50 values of 8.25, 5.49 and 4.5 µM were obtained for OTA treatment at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, respectively. The SubG0 phase increased in both treatments at 24 and 48 h. On the other hand, IL-6 and TNF-α production was increased in all mycotoxin treatments studied and was more pronounced for [GTX + OTA] after 48 h exposure. The additive and synergistic effect observed by the isobologram analysis between GTX and OTA resulted to a higher cytotoxicity which can be explained by the increased production of IL-6 and TNF-α inflammatory mediators that play an important role in the toxicity mechanism of these mycotoxins.

Toxicity of the emerging mycotoxins beauvericin and enniatins: A mini-review

Beauvericin and enniatins, emerging mycotoxins produced mainly by Fusarium species, are natural contaminants of cereals and cereal products. These mycotoxins are cyclic hexadepsipeptides with ionophore properties and their toxicity mechanism is related to their ability to transport cations across the cell membrane. Beauvericin and enniatins are cytotoxic, as they decrease cell viability, promote cell cycle arrest, and increase apoptosis and the generation of reactive oxygen species in several cell lines. They also cause changes at the transcriptomic level and have immunomodulatory effects in vitro and in vivo. Toxicokinetic results are scarce, and, despite its proven toxic effects in vitro, no regulation or risk assessment has yet been performed due to a lack of in vivo data. This mini-review aims to report the information available in the literature on studies of in vitro and in vivo toxic effects with beauvericin and enniatins, which are mycotoxins of increasing interest to animal and human health.

Low beauvericin concentrations promote PC-12 cell survival under oxidative stress by regulating lipid metabolism and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling

Beauvericin (BEA), a naturally occurring cyclic peptide with good pharmacological activity, has been widely explored in anticancer research. Although BEA is toxic, studies have demonstrated its antioxidant activity. However, to date, the antioxidant mechanisms of BEA remain unclear. Herein, we conducted a comprehensive and detailed study of the antioxidant mechanism of BEA using an untargeted metabolomics approach, subsequently validating the results. BEA concentrations of 0.5 and 1 μM significantly inhibited H2O2-induced oxidative stress (OS), decreased reactive oxygen species levels in PC-12 cells, and restored the mitochondrial membrane potential. Untargeted metabolomics indicated that BEA was primarily involved in lipid-related metabolism, suggesting its role in resisting OS in PC-12 cells by participating in lipid metabolism. BEA combated OS damage by increasing phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingolipid levels. In the current study, BEA upregulated proteins related to the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, thereby promoting cell survival. These findings support the antioxidant activity of BEA at low concentrations, warranting further research into its pharmacological effects.

Assessment of the genotoxic and mutagenic effects induced by T-2 mycotoxin in HepG2 cells

The T-2 toxin is a mycotoxin produced by molds belonging to Fusarium. Among the Fusarium mycotoxins, trichothecenes are frequently reported in food and feed, being the T-2 toxin (T-2) the mycotoxin which possesses the highest toxicity. According to EFSA, T-2 is found in various cereal grains used in food and feed products, mainly in oats, and it has a high environmental impact due to its mechanisms of toxicity. However, recent information on its genotoxic and mutagenic effects is lacking. This work aimed to evaluate the genotoxic and mutagenic potential of T-2 in vitro. For this purpose, HepG2 cells were exposed to 15, 30, and 60 nM T-2 for 24 h, then the DNA damage was evaluated by the micronucleus and the comet assays. In addition, point mutation analysis was performed by the bacterial reverse mutation test using 0.15-60 nM of T-2 concentrations. The results showed chromosomal damage at 60 nM T-2 since significantly more MN appeared at this concentration than in the control samples. Regarding the comet assay, DNA double helix breaks appeared at all concentrations tested and, in a concentration-dependent manner. However, no mutagenic effects were observed at any of the concentrations tested for the Salmonella typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) strains TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537, or the Escherichia coli (E. Coli) WP2 strain in the absence or presence of a metabolic activation system. Therefore, these results showed that T-2 mycotoxin produced genotoxic effects by MN and comet assay, while no mutagenicity was observed. However, further research simulating different metabolic activation pathways and the combined exposure of this mycotoxin with other mutagenic chemicals that could be present in the diet is necessary to discard the mutagenic potential of T-2 fully. These results highlight the carcinogenic potential and danger associated with T-2 exposure and should be considered to prevent associated food risks for the human population.

Emerging mycotoxins induce hepatotoxicity in pigs' precision-cut liver slices and HepG2 cells

Emerging mycotoxins are currently gaining more attention due to their high frequency of contamination in foods and grains. However, most data available in the literature are in vitro, with few in vivo results that prevent establishing their regulation. Beauvericin (BEA), enniatins (ENNs), emodin (EMO), apicidin (API) and aurofusarin (AFN) are emerging mycotoxins frequently found contaminating food and there is growing interest in studying their impact on the liver, a key organ in the metabolization of these components. We used an ex vivo model of precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) to verify morphological and transcriptional changes after acute exposure (4 h) to these mycotoxins. The human liver cell line HepG2 was used for comparison purposes. Most of the emerging mycotoxins were cytotoxic to the cells, except for AFN. In cells, BEA and ENNs were able to increase the expression of genes related to transcription factors, inflammation, and hepatic metabolism. In the explants, only ENN B1 led to significant changes in the morphology and expression of a few genes. Overall, our results demonstrate that BEA, ENNs, and API have the potential to be hepatotoxic.

In vitro anti-cancer effects of beauvericin through inhibition of actin polymerization and Src phosphorylation

BACKGROUND

Beauvericin (BEA) is a depsipeptide with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities isolated from Beauveria bassiana. However, little is understood on its anti-cancer activities and mechanism.

PURPOSE

Aim of this study was to explore the anti-cancer activity of BEA and its underlying molecular mechanism to provide a theoretical basis for its role as a candidate natural drug in cancer diseases.

STUDY DESIGN

Various cancer cells such as C6 glioma, U251, MDA-MB-231, HeLa, HCT-15, LoVo cells, and HEK293T cells were used to the anti-cancer activity of BEA.

METHODS

To evaluate the anti-cancer activity of BEA, cell viability test (MTT assay), morphological change check, confocal microscopy, actin polymerization assay, flow cytometry, and Western blotting analysis. To check the target enzyme of BEA, overexpression and site-directed mutagenesis was employed.

RESULTS

BEA inhibited the viability of cancer cells including C6, MDA-MB-231, HeLa, HCT-15, LoVo, and U251 cells. Treatment of BEA in C6 glioma cells induced cell membrane blebbing and apoptosis. Caspase-3 and -9 were dose-dependently activated by BEA, and the mRNA expression of Bcl-2 was inhibited by BEA. According to confocal microscopy, actin polymerization and actin-actin interaction were interrupted by BEA in C6 cells. BEA regulated the apoptosis of C6 cells depending on the protein phosphorylation of Src and Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3). Moreover, c-terminal amino acids in Src directly interacted with BEA in C6 cells, and the binding of Src and BEA suppressed the kinase activity of Src.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that BEA may be a critical candidate or substitute drug for cancer treatment via suppression of the Src/STAT3 pathway.

Study on In Vitro Metabolism and In Vivo Pharmacokinetics of Beauvericin

Beauvericin (BEA) is a well-known mycotoxin produced by many fungi, including Beaveria bassiana. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro distribution and metabolism characteristics as well as the in vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of BEA. The in vitro metabolism studies of BEA were performed using rat, dog, mouse, monkey and human liver microsomes, cryopreserved hepatocytes and plasma under conditions of linear kinetics to estimate the respective elimination rates. Additionally, LC-UV-MSn (n = 1~2) was used to identify metabolites in human, rat, mouse, dog and monkey liver microsomes. Furthermore, cytochrome P450 (CYP) reaction phenotyping was carried out. Finally, the absolute bioavailability of BEA was evaluated by intravenous and oral administration in rats. BEA was metabolically stable in the liver microsomes and hepatocytes of humans and rats; however, it was a strong inhibitor of midazolam 1′-hydroxylase (CYP3A4) and mephenytoin 4′-hydroxylase (CYP2C19) activities in human liver microsomes. The protein binding fraction values of BEA were >90% and the half-life (T1/2) values of BEA were approximately 5 h in the plasma of the five species. The absolute bioavailability was calculated to be 29.5%. Altogether, these data indicate that BEA has great potential for further development as a drug candidate. Metabolic studies of different species can provide important reference values for further safety evaluation.

Degradation of Ochratoxin A by a UV-Mutated Aspergillus niger Strain

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that can contaminate a wide range of crops such as grains and grapes. In this study, a novel fungal mutant strain (FS-UV-21) with a high OTA degradation rate (74.5%) was obtained from Aspergillus niger irradiated with ultraviolet light (15 W for 20 min). The effect of pH, temperature, and inoculation concentration on the degradation of OTA by FS-UV-21 was investigated, and the results revealed that the detoxification effect was optimal (89.4%) at a pH of 8 and a temperature of 30 °C. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to characterize the degraded products of OTA, and the main degraded product was ochratoxin α. Triple quadrupole-linear ion trap-mass spectrometry combined with LightSight software was used to analyze the biotransformation pathway of OTA in FS-UV-21, to trace the degraded products, and to identify the main metabolite, P1 (C19H18ClNO6, m/z 404). After the FS-UV-21 strain was treated with OTA, the HepG2 cellular toxicity of the degradation products was significantly reduced. For the real sample, FS-UV-21 was used to remove OTA from wheat bran contaminated by mycotoxins through fermentation, resulting in the degradation of 59.8% of OTA in wheat bran. Therefore, FS-UV-21 can be applied to the degradation of OTA in agricultural products and food.

Effects of Voghiera garlic extracts in neuronal human cell line against zearalenone's derivates and beauvericin

The Fusarium toxins constitute one of the largest groups of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species, which are major pathogens of cereal plants. In the present study neuroprotection effect of Allium sativum L garlic extract which is known as Voghiera garlic, from a local garlic ecotype of Ferrara (Italy) was examined on an undifferentiated SH-SY5Y neuronal cells against ZEA's metabolites (α-zearalenol (α-ZEL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZEL)) and beauvericin (BEA) mycotoxins which are considered as the most reported Fusarium mycotoxins, via MTT (3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, over 24 h and 48 h through direct treatment, simultaneous treatment and pre-treatment strategies. The results demonstrated remarkable improvement in cells viability in simultaneous and pre-treatment strategy with Voghiera garlic extract (VGE); specifically, for simultaneous treatment of VGE with β-ZEL which viability increased significantly up to 56%, and subsequently with α-ZEL and BEA by up to 38% and 37% respectively, compared to each mycotoxin tested alone for their highest concentrations assayed, while direct treatments for each mycotoxins individually decreased significantly (for α-ZEL up to 69%, for β-ZEL 82% and for BEA up to 43%). It is proposed by the present study that VGE extract found to be effective in reducing the cytotoxicity/neurotoxicity of α-ZEL, β-ZEL and BEA mycotoxins encountered in food and feed commodity.

Beauvericin (BEA) and enniatin B (ENNB)-induced impairment of mitochondria and lysosomes - Potential sources of intracellular reactive iron triggering ferroptosis in Atlantic salmon primary hepatocytes

Beauvericin (BEA) and enniatin B (ENNB) are emerging mycotoxins frequently detected in plant-based fish feed. With ionophoric properties, they have shown cytotoxic potential in mammalian models. Sensitivity in fish is still largely unknown. Primary hepatocytes isolated from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were used as a model and exposed to BEA and ENNB (0.05-10 μM) for 48 h. Microscopy, evaluation of cell viability, total ATP, total H₂O₂, total iron content, total Gpx enzyme activity, and RNA sequencing were used to characterize the toxicodynamics of BEA and ENNB. Both mycotoxins became cytotoxic at ≥ 5 μM, causing condensation of the hepatocytes followed by formation of blister-like protrusions on the cell's membrane. RNA sequencing analysis at sub-cytotoxic levels indicated BEA and ENNB exposed hepatocytes to experience increased energy expenditure, elevated oxidative stress, and iron homeostasis disturbances sensitizing the hepatocytes to ferroptosis. The present study provides valuable knowledge disclosing the toxic action of these mycotoxins in Atlantic salmon primary hepatocytes.

Effects of Fusarium metabolites beauvericin and enniatins alone or in mixture with deoxynivalenol on weaning piglets

The impact of the Fusarium-derived metabolites beauvericin, enniatin B and B1 (EB) alone or in combination with deoxynivalenol (DON) was investigated in 28-29 days old weaning piglets over a time period of 14 days. The co-application of EB and DON (EB + DON) led to a significant decrease in the weight gain of the animals. Liver enzyme activities in plasma were significantly decreased at day 14 in piglets receiving the EB + DON-containing diet compared to piglets receiving the control diet. All mycotoxin-contaminated diets led to moderate to severe histological lesions in the jejunum, the liver and lymph nodes. Shotgun metagenomics revealed a significant effect of EB-application on the gut microbiota. Our results provide novel insights into the harmful impact of emerging mycotoxins alone or with DON on the performance, gut health and immunological parameters in pigs.

Pilot Study: Does Contamination with Enniatin B and Beauvericin Affect the Antioxidant Capacity of Cereals Commonly Used in Animal Feeding?

Increasing consumption of cereals has been associated with reduced risk of several chronic diseases, as they contain phytochemicals that combat oxidative stress. Cereal contamination by the “emerging mycotoxins” beauvericin (BEA) and enniatins (ENs) is a worldwide health problem that has not yet received adequate scientific attention. Their presence in feeds represents a risk for animals and a potential risk for humans because of their carry-over to animal-derived products. This preliminary study aimed to investigate if the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of corn, barley, and wheat flours could be influenced by contamination with increasing levels of BEA and ENN B. The highest TAC value was observed in barley compared with wheat and corn (p < 0.001) before and after contamination. No effect of mycotoxin or mycotoxin level was found, whereas cereal x mycotoxin exhibited a significant effect (p < 0.001), showing a lower TAC value in wheat contaminated by ENN B and in barley contaminated by BEA. In conclusion, barley is confirmed as a source of natural antioxidants with antiradical potentials. Additional studies with a larger sample size are necessary to confirm the obtained results, and investigations of the toxic effects of these emergent mycotoxins on animals and humans should be deepened.

Study of locomotion response and development in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae exposed to enniatin A, enniatin B, and beauvericin

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by a variety of fungi that contaminate food and feed resources, and are capable of inducing a wide range of toxicity. Here, we studied the developmental and behavioral toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae exposed to three mycotoxins: beauvericin (BEA), Enniatin A (ENN A), and Ennitain B (ENN B). Zebrafish embryos were collected after fertilization, treated individually from 1 to 6 dpf with BEA at 8, 16, 32 and, 64 μM and for both enniatins at 3.12, 6.25, 12.5 and, 25 μM. Mixture of mycotoxins were assayed as follows: i) for BEA + ENN A and BEA + ENN B at [32 + 12.5] μM and [16 + 6.25] μM; ii) for ENN A + ENN B at [12.5 + 12.5] μM and [6.25 + 6.25] μM and, iii) for BEA + ENN A + ENN B at [32 + 12.5 + 12.5] μM and [16 + 6.25 + 6.25] μM. Response was collected after a white light-flash intermittent coming on for 5 s during 2 h with a imaging platform. Outcomes measured were: time to death, response to light, and circadian rhythm. This last outcome was measured in a plate where embryos had evolved in natural intervals of light and dark until day 7 or in a plate maintained in darkness. Images of all stages and evolution were collected. Results indicated that mycotoxins induced toxicity at the concentrations tested. All exposed zebrafish induced developmental defects, specifically hatching time and motion activity. After exposure, fish showed enhanced baseline activity but they lost their responsiveness to light.

In vitro blood brain barrier exposure to mycotoxins and carotenoids pumpkin extract alters mitochondrial gene expression and oxidative stress

Food and feed are daily exposed to mycotoxin contamination which effects may be counteracted by antioxidants like carotenoids. Some mycotoxins as well as carotenoids penetrate the blood brain barrier (BBB) inducing alterations related to redox balance in the mitochondria. Therefore, the in vitro BBB model ECV304 was subcultured for 7 days and exposed to beauvericine, enniatins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone (100 nM each), individually and combined, and pumpkin extract (500 nM). Reactive oxygen species were measured by fluorescence using the dichlorofluorescein diacetate probe at 0 h, 2 h and 4 h. Intracellular ROS generation reported was condition dependent. RNA extraction was performed and gene expression was analyzed by qPCR after 2 h exposure. The selected genes were related to the Electron Transport Chain (ETC) and mitochondrial activity. Gene expression reported upregulation for exposures including mycotoxins plus pumpkin extract versus individual mycotoxins. Beauvericin and Beauvericin-Enniatins exposure significantly downregulated Complex I and pumpkin addition reverted the effect upregulating Complex I. Complex IV was the most downregulated structure of the ETC. Thioredoxin Interacting Protein was the most upregulated gene. These data confirm that mitochondrial processes in the BBB could be compromised by mycotoxin exposure and damage could be modulated by dietary antioxidants like carotenoids.

Advances in reconstructing intestinal functionalities in vitro: From two/three dimensional-cell culture platforms to human intestine-on-a-chip

Standard two/three dimensional (2D/3D)-cell culture platforms have facilitated the understanding of the communications between various cell types and their microenvironments. However, they are still limited in recapitulating the complex functionalities in vivo, such as tissue formation, tissue-tissue interface, and mechanical/biochemical microenvironments of tissues and organs. Intestine-on-a-chip platforms offer a new way to mimic intestinal behaviors and functionalities by constructing in vitro intestinal models in microfluidic devices. This review summarizes the advances and limitations of the state-of-the-art 2D/3D-cell culture platforms, animal models, intestine chips, and the combined multi-organ chips related with intestines. Their applications to studying intestinal functions, drug testing, and disease modeling are introduced. Different intestinal cell sources are compared in terms of gene expression abilities and the recapitulated intestinal morphologies. Among these cells, cells isolated form human intestinal tissues and derived from pluripotent stem cells appear to be more suitable for in vitro reconstruction of intestinal organs. Key challenges of current intestine-on-a-chip platforms and future directions are also discussed.

Study of enzymatic activity in human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y exposed to zearalenone's derivates and beauvericin

Beauvericin (BEA), α-zearalenol (α-ZEL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZEL), are produced by several Fusarium species that contaminate cereal grains. These mycotoxins can cause cytotoxicity and neurotoxicity in various cell lines and they are also capable of produce oxidative stress at molecular level. However, mammalian cells are equipped with a protective endogenous antioxidant system formed by no-enzymatic antioxidant and enzymatic protective systems such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The aim of this study was evaluating the effects of α-ZEL, β-ZEL and BEA, on enzymatic GPx, GST, CAT and SOD activity in human neuroblastoma cells using the SH-SY5Y cell line, over 24 h and 48 h with different treatments at the following concentration range: from 1.56 to 12.5 μM for α-ZEL and β-ZEL, from 0.39 to 2.5 μM for BEA, from 1.87 to 25 μM for binary combinations and from 3.43 to 27.5 μM for tertiary combination. SH-SY5Y cells exposed to α-ZEL, β-ZEL and BEA revealed an overall increase in the activity of i) GPx, after 24 h of exposure up to 24-fold in individual treatments and 15-fold in binary combination; ii) GST after 24 h of exposure up to 10-fold (only in combination forms), and iii) SOD up to 3.5- and 5-fold in individual and combined treatment, respectively after 48 h of exposure. On the other hand, CAT activity decreased significantly in all treatments up to 92% after 24 h except for β-ZEL + BEA, which revealed the opposite.

Neurotoxicity of zearalenone's metabolites and beauvericin mycotoxins via apoptosis and cell cycle disruption

Cell cycle progression and programmed cell death are imposed by pathological stimuli of extrinsic or intrinsic including the exposure to neurotoxins, oxidative stress and DNA damage. All can cause abrupt or delayed cell death, inactivate normal cell survival or cell death networks. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of the neuronal cell death are unresolved. One of the cell deaths triggers which have been wildly studied, correspond to mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species, which have been demonstrated cytotoxicity and neurotoxicity through impairing cell proliferation, gene expression and induction of oxidative stress. The aim of present study was to analyze the cell cycle progression and cell death pathway by flow cytometry in undifferentiated SH-SY5Y neuronal cells exposed to α-zearalenol (α-ZEL), β-zearalenol (β-ZEL) and beauvericin (BEA) over 24 h and 48 h individually and combined at the following concentration ranges: from 1.56 to 12.5 μM for α-ZEL and β-ZEL, from 0.39 to 2.5 μM for BEA, from 1.87 to 25 μM for binary combinations and from 3.43 to 27.5 μM for tertiary combination. Alterations in cell cycle were observed remarkably for β-ZEL at the highest concentration in all treatments where engaged (β-ZEL, β-ZEL + BEA and β-ZEL + α-ZEL), for both 24 h and 48 h. by activating the cell proliferation in G0/G1 phase (up to 43.6 %) and causing delays or arrests in S and G2/M phases (up to 19.6 %). Tertiary mixtures revealed increases of cell proliferation in subG0 phase by 4-folds versus control. Similarly, for cell death among individual treatments β-ZEL showed a significant growth in early apoptotic cells population at the highest concentration assayed as well as for all combination treatments where β-ZEL was involved, in both early apoptotic and apoptotic/necrotic cell death pathways.

Toxicological and Epigenetic Studies of Two Types of Ale Beer, Tyrosol and Iso-Alpha Humulone

Although many benefits drawn from beer consumption are claimed, the epidemiological records are contradictory with respect to cancer prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible health-related activities involving genome safety and the ageing processes of two types of lyophilised ale beers (blond and stout), as well as two of their bioactive compounds (tyrosol and iso-alpha humulone). A multipurpose trial set of in vivo toxicity, antitoxicity, mutagenicity, antimutagenicity, lifespan and healthspan assays using Drosophila melanogaster were used. In parallel, several in vitro assays were designed using the cancer cell line HL-60 in order to establish the possible chemopreventive activity of the selected substances, where epigenetic modulation of DNA methylation changes, clastogenic activity and tumour cell inhibition growth were evaluated. The safety of the four substances was confirmed: lyophilised blond ale beer (LBAB), lyophilised stout ale beer (LSAB), tyrosol and iso-alpha humulone were neither toxic nor genotoxic. Moreover, all substances, except tyrosol, revealed the ability to protect individual genomes against oxidative radicals and to exert antimutagenic activity against the genotoxin hydrogen peroxide. With respect to the degenerative process indicators of lifespan and healthspan, tyrosol was the only compound that did not exert any influence on the life extension of Drosophila; LBAB induced a significant lifespan extension in D. melanogaster; LSAB and its distinctive compound iso-alpha humulone induced a reduction in longevity. The in vitro assays showed the cytotoxic activity of LBAB, LSAB and tyrosol against HL-60 cells. Moreover, proapoptotic DNA fragmentation or DNA strand breakage was observed for both types of beers and iso-alpha humulone at different concentrations. Furthermore, the lyophilised ale beers and tyrosol exhibited an increasing genome-wide methylation status, while iso-alpha humulone exhibited a demethylation status in repetitive cancer cell sequences. Although the biological activities assigned to beer consumption cannot be linked to any specific molecule/element due to the complexity of the phenolic profile, as well as the multifactor brewing process, the results obtained let us propose lyophilised ale beers as safe potential nutraceutical beverages when consumed in moderate amounts. The prevention of toxicity and genetic oxidative damage, as well as the induction of tumor cell death and modulation of the methylation status, are the key activities of beer that were shown in the present research.

Presence of Mycotoxins in Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Food Supplements: A Review

The consumption of herbal-based supplements, which are believed to have beneficial effects on human health with no side effects, has become popular around the world and this trend is still increasing. Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn, commonly known as milk thistle (MT), is the most commonly studied herb associated with the treatment of liver diseases. The hepatoprotective effects of active substances in silymarin, with silybin being the main compound, have been demonstrated in many studies. However, MT can be affected by toxigenic micro-fungi and contaminated by mycotoxins with adverse effects. The beneficial effect of silymarin can thus be reduced or totally antagonized by mycotoxins. MT has proven to be affected by micro-fungi of the Fusarium and Alternaria genera, in particular, and their mycotoxins. Alternariol-methyl-ether (AME), alternariol (AOH), beauvericin (BEA), deoxynivalenol (DON), enniatin A (ENNA), enniatin A1 (ENNA1), enniatin B (ENNB), enniatin B1 (ENNB1), HT-2 toxin (HT-2), T-2 toxin (T-2), tentoxin (TEN), and zearalenone (ZEA) seem to be most significant in MT-based dietary supplements. This review focuses on summarizing cases of mycotoxins in MT to emphasize the need for strict monitoring and regulation, as mycotoxins in relation with MT-based dietary supplements are not covered by European Union legislation.

Beauvericin and Enniatins: In Vitro Intestinal Effects

Food and feed contamination by emerging mycotoxins beauvericin and enniatins is a worldwide health problem and a matter of great concern nowadays, and data on their toxicological behavior are still scarce. As ingestion is the major route of exposure to mycotoxins in food and feed, the gastrointestinal tract represents the first barrier encountered by these natural contaminants and the first structure that could be affected by their potential detrimental effects. In order to perform a complete and reliable toxicological evaluation, this fundamental site cannot be disregarded. Several in vitro intestinal models able to recreate the different traits of the intestinal environment have been applied to investigate the various aspects related to the intestinal toxicity of emerging mycotoxins. This review aims to depict an overall and comprehensive representation of the in vitro intestinal effects of beauvericin and enniatins in humans from a species-specific perspective. Moreover, information on the occurrence in food and feed and notions on the regulatory aspects will be provided.

Protective effect of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus against the toxicity of beauvericin mycotoxin on the Caco-2 cell line

The present study evaluated the protective effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus against the toxicity of the Beauvericin on the Caco-2 cell line. After culturing Caco-2 cells and applying different concentrations of Beauvericin and L. acidophilus individually and in combination, cell viability was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at different times. The results indicate the potential risk of Beauvericin to human health and the interventional role of L. acidophilus, which improved cell viability in the presence of Beauvericin.

Larval zebrafish as an in vitro model for evaluating toxicological effects of mycotoxins

The presence of mycotoxins in food has created concern. Mycotoxin prevalence in our environment has changed in the last few years maybe due to climatic and other environmental changes. Evidence has emerged from in vitro and in vivo models: some mycotoxins have been found to be potentially carcinogenic, embryogenically harmful, teratogenic, and to generate nephrotoxicity. The risk assessment of exposures to mycotoxins at early life stages became mandatory. In this regard, the effects of toxic compounds on zebrafish have been widely studied, and more recently, mycotoxins have been tested with respect to their effects on developmental and teratogenic effects in this model system, which offers several advantages as it is an inexpensive and an accessible vertebrate model to study developmental toxicity. External post-fertilization and quick maturation make it sensitive to environmental effects and facilitate the detection of endpoints such as morphological deformities, time of hatching, and behavioral responses. Therefore, there is a potential for larval zebrafish to provide new insights into the toxicological effects of mycotoxins. We provide an overview of recent mycotoxin toxicological research in zebrafish embryos and larvae, highlighting its usefulness to toxicology and discuss the strengths and limitations of this model system.

The mycotoxin beauvericin impairs development, fertility and life span in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans accompanied by increased germ cell apoptosis and lipofuscin accumulation

Beauvericin is an ubiquitous mycotoxin with relevant occurrence in food and feed. It causes a high toxicity in several cell lines, but its general mechanism of action is not fully understood and only limited in vivo studies have been performed. We used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to investigate effects of beauvericin. The mycotoxin displays a moderate acute toxicity at 100 μM; at this concentration also reproductive toxicity occurred (reduction of total progeny to 32.1 %), developmental toxicity was detectable at 250 μM. However, even lower concentrations were capable to reduce stress resistance and life span of the nematode: A significant reduction was detected at 10 μM beauvericin (decrease in mean survival time of 4.3 % and reduction in life span of 12.9 %). An increase in lipofuscin fluorescence was demonstrated starting at 10 μM suggesting oxidative stress as a mechanism of beauvericin toxicity. Beauvericin (100 μM) increases the number of apoptotic germ cells comparable to the positive control UV-C (400 J/m²). Conclusion: Low concentrations of beauvericin are capable to cause adverse effects in C. elegans, which may be relevant for hazard identification of this compound.

Beauvericin alters the expression of genes coding for key proteins of the mitochondrial chain in ovine cumulus-oocyte complexes

Beauvericin (BEA) is a member of the enniatin family of mycotoxins which has received increasing interest because of frequent occurrence in food and feed. By its ionophoric properties, BEA is able to alter membrane ion permeability uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. It was also shown to alter oocyte mitochondrial function. In this study, the effects of BEA at 0.5, 1, ,3 and 5 μmol/L on expression of genes coding for key proteins of the mitochondrial chain in ovine oocytes and cumulus cells were evaluated at different time points of in vitro maturation (IVM), germinal vesicle (GV; t = 0), metaphase I (MI; t = 7 h), and metaphase II (MII; t = 24 h). The expression of nuclear (TFAM, NDUFA12, UQCRH, COX4, ATP5O) and mitochondrial (ND1, COX1, COX2, ATP6, ATP8) genes coding for proteins of Complexes I, III, IV, and V was analyzed by qRT-PCR. After BEA exposure, perturbed expression of all genes was observed in cumulus cells and in oocytes at the MI stage (7 h IVM). Expression of ND1, UQCRH, COX4 and ATP5O was downregulated in cumulus cells and upregulated in oocytes starting from 0.5 μmol/L BEA. Expression of TFAM, NDUFA12, COX1, COX2, ATP6, and ATP8 was upregulated starting from 1 μmol/L in cumulus cells and from 3 μmol/L in oocytes. Cumulus cells and oocytes displayed different gene expression patterns upon BEA exposure. The downregulation in cumulus cells of four genes coding for proteins of mitochondrial complexes could represent a major toxic event induced by BEA on the cumulus-oocyte complex which may result in mitochondrial functional alteration.

T-2 toxin and its metabolites: Characterization, cytotoxic mechanisms and adaptive cellular response in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells

The T-2 toxin (T-2) is a type A trichothecene produced by Fusarium species, and the most cytotoxic mycotoxin of the group. A study was made to determine T-2 cytotoxicity in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells; evaluate whether there is an adaptive response of HepG2 cells exposed to low concentrations of T-2; identify the T-2 metabolites by LC-Q-TOF MS; and determine whether T-2 disrupts cell proliferation in HepG2 cells. The IC₅₀ values obtained ranged from 61.9 ± 2.4 nM to 70.7 ± 7.4 nM. No adaptive response was observed. There was no evidence of extra- or intracellular accumulation of T-2 after 24 h of exposure as determined by LC-Q-TOF MS. However, some T-2 metabolites such as HT-2 toxin, neosolaniol and T-2 triol showed important (>75%) intracellular accumulation. Cell distribution was significantly increased in SubG0/G1 phase (11.8-fold higher) and decreased (12%) in G2/M phase at 60 nM T-2, versus the control. Simultaneously, increased necrosis (238%) and apoptosis/necrosis (up to 35.5%) were observed in HepG2 cells exposed to T-2. In conclusion, the results show that T-2 leads to loss of cell viability without an adaptive response, and that the metabolites generated play an important role in T-2 cytotoxicity, increasing HepG2 cell damage.

Chemoprotective effect of carotenoids from Lycium barbarum L. on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells treated with beauvericin

Goji berry has recently been introduced in Mediterranean diet and its consumption is increasing. This study aims to determine cytoprotection of lutein (LUT), zeaxanthin (ZEAX) and goji berry extract (GBE) rich in carotenoids against Beauvericin (BEA)-induced cytotoxicity on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Both carotenoids and GBE showed cytoprotective effects. Cytoprotection was evaluated by simultaneous combination of the two xanthophylls LUT and ZEAX with BEA, as well as using pre-treatment assays. The highest protective effect occurred in 16%, 24% and 12% respectively for LUT, ZEAX and LUT + ZEAX incubating simultaneously with BEA, while by pre-treatment assay LUT showed a cytoprotection effect over 30% and ZEAX alone or LUT + ZEAX promoted only a slight cytoprotection (<10%). Pre-treatment assays with GBE, showed a cytoprotection, between 3 and 20%, for BEA concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 6.25 μM, whereas no protective effect was observed when the cells were simultaneously incubated with GBE and BEA. Finally, by means of CI-isobologram method, the interaction between LUT, ZEAX and BEA were evaluated, and the results showed an synergism effect for almost all combinations tested. The data presented shows a option of using goji berries to potentially mitigate the toxicity of beauvericin eventually present in foods.

Beauvericin: The beauty and the beast

Beauvericin (BEA) is a natural bioactive compound, with a dual nature. On the one hand, the peculiar characteristics of its molecule confer to BEA interesting properties, such as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, insecticidal and anticarcinogenic activities. On the other hand, it is a natural contaminant of food and feed commodities, and an emerging mycotoxin, but lacks a toxicological risk assessment evaluation for long term exposure. This review aims to provide a global and comprehensive overview on BEA from its biological activities, to its in vivo and in vitro toxicological effects covering the multifaceted nature of this substance.

Effects of dimethylglycine sodium salt supplementation on growth performance, hepatic antioxidant capacity, and mitochondria-related gene expression in weanling piglets born with low birth weight1

Dimethylglycine sodium salt (DMG-Na) has exhibited excellent advantages in animal experiments and human health. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with 0.1% DMG-Na on the growth performance, hepatic antioxidant capacity, and mRNA expression of mitochondria-related genes in low birth weight (LBW) piglets during weaning period. Sixteen piglets with normal birth weight (NBW) and 16 LBW piglets were fed either a basal diet or a 0.1% DMG-Na supplemented diet from age of 21 to 49 d. Blood and liver samples were collected at the end of the study. The results showed that compared with NBW piglets, LBW piglets exhibited greater (P < 0.05) alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase activities in the serum. LBW decreased (P < 0.05) the activity of glutathione peroxidase and increased (P < 0.05) the contents of malondialdehyde and H2O2 in liver. DMG-Na supplementation increased (P < 0.05) body weight gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency, decreased (P < 0.05) ALT and AST activities, and reduced the content of H2O2 in LBW piglets. LBW piglets had downregulated (P < 0.05) mRNA expression of thioredoxin 2, thioredoxin reductases 2, and nuclear respiratory factor-1 (Nrf1) in the liver. However, DMG-Na supplementation increased (P < 0.05) mRNA expression of Nrf1 in the liver. In conclusion, DMG-Na supplementation has beneficial effects in alleviating LBW-induced hepatic oxidative damage and changed mitochondrial genes expression levels, which is associated with increased antioxidant enzyme activities and up-regulating mRNA gene abundance.

Individual and Combined Effect of Zearalenone Derivates and Beauvericin Mycotoxins on SH-SY5Y Cells

Beauvericin (BEA) and zearalenone derivatives, α-zearalenol (α-ZEL), and β-zearalenol (β-ZEL), are produced by several Fusarium species. Considering the impact of various mycotoxins on human's health, this study determined and evaluated the cytotoxic effect of individual, binary, and tertiary mycotoxin treatments consisting of α-ZEL, β-ZEL, and BEA at different concentrations over 24, 48, and 72 h on SH-SY5Y neuronal cells, by using the MTT assay (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5diphenyltetrazoliumbromide). Subsequently, the isobologram method was applied to elucidate if the mixtures produced synergism, antagonism, or additive effects. Ultimately, we determined the amount of mycotoxin recovered from the media after treatment using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-qTOF-MS). The IC50 values detected at all assayed times ranged from 95 to 0.2 μM for the individual treatments. The result indicated that β-ZEL was the most cytotoxic mycotoxin when tested individually. The major effect detected for all combinations assayed was synergism. Among the combinations assayed, α-ZEL + β-ZEL + BEA and α-ZEL + BEA presented the highest cytotoxic potential with respect to the IC value. At all assayed times, BEA was the mycotoxin recovered at the highest concentration in individual form, and β-ZEL + BEA was the combination recovered at the highest concentration.

Beauvericin and ochratoxin A mycotoxins individually and combined in HepG2 cells alter lipid peroxidation, levels of reactive oxygen species and glutathione

The co-presence of more than one mycotoxin in food is being evidenced in last food surveys as reported in the literature. Beauvericin (BEA) is a non-legislated emergent mycotoxin while Ochratoxin A (OTA) has been widely studied and legislated. Concentration range individually studied was from 2.5 to 0.3 μM for BEA and from 25 to 3.1 μM for OTA; binary mixture [BEA + OTA] comprised concentrations of 1:10 ratio from [2.5 + 25] to [3.1 + 0.3] μM. Potential of toxicity of BEA in HepG2 cells was the highest at all times assayed (24, 48 and 72h). LPO was performed through malondyaldehyde (MDA) detection denoting in the binary mixture for [1.25 + 12.5] μM and at 24 and 72h the highest disturbance values. ROS denoted differences respect to the control at different times specially for OTA, while in binary combination only for few point times was denoted. Effects detected for ROS and LPO were connected with alterations detected for glutathione levels of oxidized and reduced form. A real scenario of consumers chronically exposed to different mycotoxins and their mixtures is here presented highlighting the good methodology to assess the risk from exposure to combinations of chemicals in food.

Toxicity assessment of the herbicide acetochlor in the human liver carcinoma (HepG2) cell line

Acetochlor is a high-volume herbicide used on a global scale and toxicity assessments are needed to define its potential for adverse effects in wildlife and humans. This study was conducted to determine the effects of acetochlor on human liver carcinoma cells (HepG2), a cell model widely used to assess the potential for chemical hepatotoxicity. Experiments were conducted at concentrations ranging 0-800 μM acetochlor over a 12 to 48h period to quantify underlying mechanisms of toxicity. Our data indicate that acetochlor suppressed HepG2 cell proliferation in both a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Acetochlor induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation more than 700% with exposure to 400 μM acetochlor, and acetochlor decreased the activities and levels of anti-oxidant responses (superoxide dismutase, glutathione) following exposure to 100 μM, 200 μM and 400 μM acetochlor. Acetochlor also (1) induced HepG2 cell damage through apoptotic-signaling pathways; (2) enhanced intracellular free Ca²⁺ concentration (>400%); (3) decreased mitochondrial transmembrane potential (∼77%), and reduced ATP levels (∼65%) following exposure to 400 μM acetochlor compared to untreated cells. Notably, cell cycle progression was blocked at G0/G1 phase in HepG2 cells when treated for 24 h with 400 μM acetochlor. Taken together, acetochlor induced significant cytotoxicity toward HepG2 cells, and the underlying toxicity mechanisms appear to be related to ROS generation, mitochondrial dysfunction and disruption in the cell cycle regulation. These data contribute to toxicity assessments for acetochlor, a high-use herbicide, to quantify risk to wildlife and human health.

In Silico and In Vitro Studies of Mycotoxins and Their Cocktails; Their Toxicity and Its Mitigation by Silibinin Pre-Treatment

Mycotoxins found in randomly selected commercial milk thistle dietary supplement were evaluated for their toxicity in silico and in vitro. Using in silico methods, the basic physicochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological properties of the mycotoxins were predicted using ACD/Percepta. The in vitro cytotoxicity of individual mycotoxins was determined in mouse macrophage (RAW 264.7), human hepatoblastoma (HepG2), and human embryonic kidney (HEK 293T) cells. In addition, we studied the bioavailability potential of mycotoxins and silibinin utilizing an in vitro transwell system with differentiated human colon adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) simulating mycotoxin transfer through the intestinal epithelial barrier. The IC50 values for individual mycotoxins in studied cells were in the biologically relevant ranges as follows: 3.57-13.37 nM (T-2 toxin), 5.07-47.44 nM (HT-2 toxin), 3.66-17.74 nM (diacetoxyscirpenol). Furthermore, no acute toxicity was obtained for deoxynivalenol, beauvericin, zearalenone, enniatinENN-A, enniatin-A1, enniatin-B, enniatin-B1, alternariol, alternariol-9-methyl ether, tentoxin, and mycophenolic acid up to the 50 nM concentration. The acute toxicity of these mycotoxins in binary combinations exhibited antagonistic effects in the combinations of T-2 with DON, ENN-A1, or ENN-B, while the rest showed synergistic or additive effects. Silibinin had a significant protective effect against both the cytotoxicity of three mycotoxins (T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, DAS) and genotoxicity of AME, AOH, DON, and ENNs on HEK 293T. The bioavailability results confirmed that AME, DAS, ENN-B, TEN, T-2, and silibinin are transported through the epithelial cell layer and further metabolized. The bioavailability of silibinin is very similar to mycotoxins poor penetration.

Quinalizarin induces ROS‑mediated apoptosis via the MAPK, STAT3 and NF‑κB signaling pathways in human breast cancer cells

Quinalizarin has been demonstrated to exhibit potent antitumor activities in lung cancer and gastric cancer cells, but currently, little is known regarding its anticancer mechanisms in human breast cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the apoptotic effects of quinalizarin in MCF-7 cells and to analyze its molecular mechanisms. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the viability of human breast cancer cells that had been treated with quinalizarin and 5-fluorouracil. Flow cytometric analyses and western blotting were used to investigate the effects of quinalizarin on apoptosis and cycle arrest in MCF-7 cells with focus on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The results demonstrated that quinalizarin exhibited significant cytotoxic effects on human breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Accompanying ROS, quinalizarin induced MCF-7 cell mitochondrial-associated apoptosis by regulating mitochondrial-associated apoptosis, and caused cell cycle arrest at the G₂/M phase in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, quinalizarin can activate p38 kinase and JNK, and inhibit the extracellular signal-regulated kinase, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and NF-κB signaling pathways. These effects were blocked by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor and N-acetyl-L-cysteine. The results from the present study suggested that quinalizarin induced G₂/M phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells through ROS-mediated MAPK, STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways. Thus, quinalizarin may be useful for human breast cancer treatment, as well as the treatment of other cancer types.

Twenty-Eight Fungal Secondary Metabolites Detected in Pig Feed Samples: Their Occurrence, Relevance and Cytotoxic Effects In Vitro

Feed samples are frequently contaminated by a wide range of chemically diverse natural products, which can be determined using highly sensitive analytical techniques. Next to already well-investigated mycotoxins, unknown or unregulated fungal secondary metabolites have also been found, some of which at significant concentrations. In our study, 1141 pig feed samples were analyzed for more than 800 secondary fungal metabolites using the same LC-MS/MS method and ranked according to their prevalence. Effects on the viability of the 28 most relevant were tested on an intestinal porcine epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2). The most frequently occurring compounds were determined as being cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Tyr), moniliformin, and enniatin B, followed by enniatin B1, aurofusarin, culmorin, and enniatin A1. The main mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone, were found only at ranks 8 and 10. Regarding cytotoxicity, apicidin, gliotoxin, bikaverin, and beauvericin led to lower IC50 values, between 0.52 and 2.43 µM, compared to deoxynivalenol (IC50 = 2.55 µM). Significant cytotoxic effects were also seen for the group of enniatins, which occurred in up to 82.2% of the feed samples. Our study gives an overall insight into the amount of fungal secondary metabolites found in pig feed samples compared to their cytotoxic effects in vitro.

The mycotoxin beauvericin induces oocyte mitochondrial dysfunction and affects embryo development in the juvenile sheep

Beauvericin (BEA) is a mycotoxin produced by Beauveria bassiana and Fusarium species recently reported as toxic on porcine oocyte maturation and embryo development. The aim of this study was to assess, in the juvenile sheep, whether its effects are due to alterations of oocyte and/or embryo bioenergetic/oxidative status. Cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) were exposed to BEA during in vitro maturation (IVM), evaluated for cumulus cell (CC) apoptosis, oocyte maturation and bioenergetic/oxidative status or subjected to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo culture (IVEC). Oocyte nuclear maturation and embryo development were assessed after Hoechst staining and CC apoptosis was analysed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-End labeling assay and chromatin morphology after Hoechst staining by epifluorescence microscopy. Oocyte and blastocyst bioenergetic/oxidative status were assessed by confocal microscopy after mitochondria and reactive oxygen species labelling with specific probes. BEA showed various toxic effects, that is, short-term effects on somatic and germinal compartment of the COC (CCs and the oocyte) and long-term carry-over effects on developing embryos. In detail, at 5 µM, it significantly reduced oocyte maturation and immature oocytes showed increased late-stage (Type C) CC apoptosis and DNA fragmentation while matured oocytes showed unaffected CC viability but abnormal mitochondrial distribution patterns. At lower tested concentrations (3-0.5 µM), BEA did not affect oocyte maturation, but matured oocytes showed reduced mitochondrial activity. At low concentrations, BEA impaired embryo developmental capacity and blastocyst quality after IVF and IVEC. In conclusion, in the juvenile sheep, COC exposure to BEA induces CC apoptosis and oocyte mitochondrial dysfunction with negative impact on embryo development.

Hydrophobized Reversed-Phase Adsorbent for Protection of Dairy Cattle against Lipophilic Toxins from Diet. Efficiensy in Vitro and in Vivo

The steady growth of inflammatory diseases of the udder in dairy cattle forces us to look for the causes of this phenomenon in the context of growing chemical pollution of the environment and feeds. Within the framework of this concept, an analysis was made of the polarity level of the three toxic impurity groups, which are commonly present in dairy cattle feeds. These impurities are presented by mycotoxins, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and persistent organic pollutants (POP). It has been determined that 46% of studied mycotoxins (n = 1500) and 100% of studied polyaromatic hydrocarbons (n = 45) and persistent organic pollutants (n = 55) are lipophilic compounds, prone to bioaccumulation. A comparative evaluation of the sorption capacity of four adsorbents of a different nature and polarity with respect to the simplest PAH, naphthalene and lipophilic estrogenic mycotoxin, zearalenone in vitro has been carried out. The highest efficiency in these experiments was demonstrated by the reversed-phase polyoctylated polysilicate hydrogel (POPSH). The use of POPSH in a herd of lactating cows significantly reduced the transfer of aldrin, dieldrin and heptachlor, typical POPs from the “dirty dozen”, to the milk. The relevance of protecting the main functional systems of animals from the damaging effects of lipophilic toxins from feeds using non-polar adsorbents, and the concept of evaluating the effectiveness of various feed adsorbents for dairy cattle by their influence on the somatic cell count in the collected milk are discussed.

Effects of deoxynivalenol, 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol on parameters associated with oxidative stress in HepG2 cells

This work studied the effect of deoxynivalenol (DON) and two of its acetylated analogs (3-ADON, 15-ADON) on first indicators of oxidative stress status, namely production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induction of lipid peroxidation (LPO), in HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells were exposed to different concentrations of the three toxins, either alone or in combinations, for 24, 48, and 72 h. Results of cytotoxicity obtained in HepG2 cells were correlated with the detection of ROS and LPO. This effect was inversely correlated with ROS while directly correlated with LPO for the assayed mycotoxins in individual treatment. Combinations of two toxins containing 15-ADON yielded highest values, while for two-toxin combinations with 3-ADON, the effects were minor. A combination of all three mycotoxins alleviated ROS production and the highest levels in LPO were detected, in association to a final breakdown of adaption of ROS early produced by HepG2. In conclusion, parameters of stress evaluation presented in this study (ROS and LPO), revealed increases in HepG2 cells exposed to DON, 3-ADON, and 15-ADON either individually or combined.

Identification and Quantification of Enniatins and Beauvericin in Animal Feeds and Their Ingredients by LC-QTRAP/MS/MS

Emerging fusariotoxins, mainly enniatins (ENNs) and beauvericin (BEA), are secondary toxic metabolites produced by Fusarium spp. and are widely distributed contaminants of cereals and by-products. Mycotoxin contamination in these products supposes an important risk to feed supply security in the feed industry due to the common use of cereals in feed formulations. Hence, continuous monitoring of both raw materials and feed mixtures is highly recommended as stated by sanitary authorities. Therefore, an analytical procedure based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and an acetonitrile-based extraction followed by a d-SPE (QuEChERS) step for the simultaneous determination of emerging Fusarium mycotoxins was in-house validated and successfully applied to raw materials (n = 39) and feed manufactured with them (n = 48). The analytical method was validated following the European guidelines and satisfactory results were obtained. Both raw materials and complete feedstuffs showed mycotoxin contamination at incidences of 18% and 92%, respectively. ENN B was the most commonly found mycotoxin in the analyzed samples at concentrations up to several tens of µg/kg. On the other hand, the co-occurrence of mycotoxins was observed in 47% of samples, ENN B and BEA being the most common combination. These results highlight the necessity to take a vigilant attitude to monitor the occurrence of contaminants in raw materials and feedstuffs throughout the manufacturing chain and storage.

Co-Occurrence of Beauvericin and Enniatins in Edible Vegetable Oil Samples, China

A total of 470 edible vegetable oil samples including peanut, soybean, rapeseed, sesame seed, corn, blend, and others collected from eight provinces of China were analyzed for the concentrations of beauvericin (BEA), enniatin A (ENA), A₁ (ENA₁), B (ENB), and B₁ (ENB₁) by ultraperformance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-MS/MS). Concentrations of BEA, ENB, and ENB₁ (average = 5.59 μg/kg, 5.16 μg/kg, and 4.61 μg/kg) in all positive samples were higher than those for ENA and ENA₁ (average = 0.85 μg/kg and 1.88 μg/kg). Frequencies of BEA and ENNs in all analyzed samples were all higher than 50% with the exception of ENA₁ (36.6%, 172/470). Levels of BEA and ENNs in all analyzed samples varied based on their sample types and geographical distributions (Kruskal–Wallis test, p < 0.05). The soybean and peanut oil samples were found to be more easily contaminated by BEA and ENNs than other oil samples. Concentrations of BEA and ENNs in samples obtained from Heilongjiang, Shandong and Guizhou were higher than those found in samples from other provinces. Besides, frequencies of mycotoxin co-contaminations were high and their co-contamination types also varied by oil types. BEA-ENA-ENA₁-ENB-ENB₁ was the most commonly found toxin combination type, almost in one third of the analyzed samples (30%, 141/470). Overall, these results indicate that co-occurrence of BEA and ENNs in analyzed Chinese edible vegetable oil samples is highly common, and it is vital to monitor them, both simultaneously and on a widespread level.

Structural characterization of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) oligopeptides and the detection of their capability in non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells: induction of apoptosis

Oligopeptides are rarely reported from Chinese herbal medicine because they are often present in very low concentrations in a complex matrix. Twenty-eight oligopeptides were recently identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS) from Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae), and a septapeptide, FHGKGHE (Phe-His-Gly-Lys-Gly-His-Glu), named MCLO-12, showed the best anticancer activity against the non-small cell lung cancer A549 cell line in vitro, with an IC₅₀ value of 21.4 ± 2.21 mM. The anti-proliferative activity assay results showed that MCLO-12 induced apoptosis of A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Treatment of the cells with MCLO-12 (10.7–42.8 mM mL⁻¹) caused strong intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) up-regulating activities and activated caspase expression. MCLO-12 also suppressed the Trx system and subsequently activated a number of Trx-dependent pathways, including the ASK1, MAPK-p38 and JNK pathways. Thus, our research provides a good reference point for anti-NSCLC research into oligopeptides.

MCLO-12 induced apoptosis by up-regulating the ROS, activating the caspases expressions, suppressing the Trx system and subsequently activating a number of Trx-dependent pathways.