Hematological parameters and the state of liver cells of rats after oral administration of aflatoxin b1 alone and together with nanodiamonds

Ameliorative effects of camel milk and silymarin upon aflatoxin B1 induced hepatic injury in rats

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) poses a major risk to both human and animal health because it contaminates food, feed, and grains. These dangerous effects can be mitigated using natural components. The purpose of this study was to examine the ameliorative effects of camel milk and silymarin supplementation upon aflatoxin B1 induced hepatic injury in rats. This improvement was assessed by measuring leukocytic and deferential counts, serum biochemical parameters, and gene expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α), antioxidant gene (NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)), and base excision repair genes (APE1 and OGG1) in the liver tissue, in addition to liver histopathology. Sixty mature males Wister white rats were used to perform the present study; the rats were distributed in six groups (ten rats/group). The control group (without any treatment) received saline by gavage. The camel milk group received 1 ml of camel milk/kg body weight. The silymarin group received 1 ml of silymarin suspension solution at a dose of 20 mg of silymarin/kg of b.wt. The aflatoxin group received an aflatoxin-contaminated diet at a dose of 1.4 mg of aflatoxin /kg of diet and received saline. The camel milk + aflatoxin group received the same previous oral doses of camel milk and an aflatoxin-contaminated diet at the same time. The silymarin + aflatoxin group received the same previous doses of silymarin orally and an aflatoxin-contaminated diet at the same time. The obtained data indicated the deleterious effect of aflatoxin B1 on the leukocytic count, activity of AST and ALT, serum proteins, ferritin, alpha-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, liver pathology, and the expression of the studied genes. However, these deleterious effects were mitigated by camel milk and silymarin supplementation. Thus, we could conclude that the ingestion of camel milk and silymarin mitigated the negative effects of AFB1 on the hematology, activity of AST and ALT, serum proteins, ferritin, alpha-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, liver pathology, and gene expression in the rat model.

Nanomaterials in food industry for the protection from mycotoxins: an update

The storage of food grains against the fungal infection has been a great challenge to the farmers, but nanotechnology provides a solution to address this problem. The application of nanotechnology for the storage of food grains replaces synthetic fungicides in agriculture. Inorganic nanoparticles such as silver and zinc oxide are well-known for their antifungal activity. Green synthesized nanoparticles show enhanced antimicrobial activity than the chemically synthesized nanoparticles. Extracts and essential oils derived from plants exhibit very good antifungal properties. The synthesized nanoparticles can be impregnated in packaging materials, which are used to store food grains. Natural materials are having advantages like non-toxicity and easier to degrade and are suitable for food safety. This overview discusses the nanomaterials-mediated protection of food materials from mycotoxin and its releases into the open environment.

Decontamination of Mycotoxin-Contaminated Feedstuffs and Compound Feed

Mycotoxins are known worldwide as fungus-produced toxins that adulterate a wide heterogeneity of raw feed ingredients and final products. Consumption of mycotoxins-contaminated feed causes a plethora of harmful responses from acute toxicity to many persistent health disorders with lethal outcomes; such as mycotoxicosis when ingested by animals. Therefore, the main task for feed producers is to minimize the concentration of mycotoxin by applying different strategies aimed at minimizing the risk of mycotoxin effects on animals and human health. Once mycotoxins enter the production chain it is hard to eliminate or inactivate them. This paper examines the most recent findings on different processes and strategies for the reduction of toxicity of mycotoxins in animals. The review gives detailed information about the decontamination approaches to mitigate mycotoxin contamination of feedstuffs and compound feed, which could be implemented in practice.

Phagocytosis and immune response studies of Macrophage-Nanodiamond Interactions in vitro and in vivo

The applications of nanodiamond as drug delivery and bio-imaging can require the relinquishing ND-drug conjugate via blood flow, where interaction with immune cells may occur. In this work, we investigated the ND penetration in macrophage and the immune response using the tissue-resident murine macrophages (RAW 264.7). Confocal fluorescence imaging, immunofluorescence analysis of nuclear translocation of interferon regulatory factor IRF-3 and transcriptional factor NF-κΒ, analysis of pro-inflammatory cytokines production IL-1β, IL-6 IL-10 with a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction technique were applied. The TNF-α factor production has been studied both in vitro at ND interaction with the macrophage and in vivo after ND injection in the mice blood system using immunoassay. The macrophage antibacterial function was estimated through E. coli bacterial colony formation. ND didn't stimulate the immune response and functionality of the macrophage was not altered. Using MTT test, ND was found negligibly cytotoxic to macrophages. Thus, ND can serve as a biocompatible platform for bio-medical applications. Left: Graphic representation of Nanodiamond internalization in macrophage. Right: (a) Fluorescence images of lysosomes, (b) nanodiamond and (c) merged image of nanodiamond internalization in macrophage.

Nanodiamonds for Medical Applications: Interaction with Blood in Vitro and in Vivo

Nanodiamonds (ND) have emerged to be a widely-discussed nanomaterial for their applications in biological studies and for medical diagnostics and treatment. The potentials have been successfully demonstrated in cellular and tissue models in vitro. For medical applications, further in vivo studies on various applications become important. One of the most challenging possibilities of ND biomedical application is controllable drug delivery and tracing. That usually assumes ND interaction with the blood system. In this work, we study ND interaction with rat blood and analyze how the ND surface modification and coating can optimize the ND interaction with the blood. It was found that adsorption of a low concentration of ND does not affect the oxygenation state of red blood cells (RBC). The obtained in vivo results are compared to the results of in vitro studies of nanodiamond interaction with rat and human blood and blood components, such as red blood cells and blood plasma. An in vivo animal model shows ND injected in blood attach to the RBC membrane and circulate with blood for more than 30 min; and ND do not stimulate an immune response by measurement of proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α with ND injected into mice via the caudal vein. The results further confirm nanodiamonds’ safety in organisms, as well as the possibility of their application without complicating the blood’s physiological conditions.

Detection of Gold Nanoparticles in Rat Organs by Transmission Electron Microscopy

The effects of water-dispersed gold nanoparticles (8.0±0.9 nm in diameter) on the rat small intestinal mucosa and Peyer plaques, liver, and spleen were studied by electron microscopy. Water-dispersed gold nanoparticles injected into isolated intestinal loop not only accumulated in the small intestinal mucosa and Peyer plaques, but also penetrated into other organs, e.g. liver and spleen. Ultrastructural changes in the cells (hyperplasia of endoplasmic reticulum) were detected in the studied organs.

Endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductin 1α mediates hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress in homocysteine-induced atherosclerosis

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is emerging as an important modulator of different pathological process and as a mechanism contributing to homocysteine (Hcy)-induced hepar injury. However, the molecular event that Hcy-induced ER stress in the hepar under the atherosclerosis background is currently unknown. Endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductin 1α (ERO1α) plays a crucial role in maintaining ER stress function. In this study, we determined the expression of ERO1α in the hepar in hyperhomocysteinemia and the effect of ERO1α in hepacytes ER stress in the presence of Hcy. HHcy model was established by feeding the methionine diet in apolipoprotein-E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice, and the hepatocytes were incubated with folate and different concentrations of Hcy. Our results showed that Hcy triggered ER stress characterized by an increased contents of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK), activating transcription factor (ATF) 6 and X-box binding protein-1 (XBP-1). The ERO1α expressions in HHcy mice and Hcy-treated hepatocytes were decreased compared with those in ApoE-/- group and control hepacytes (P < 0.05), respectively. Knocking-down the expression of ERO1α with small-interfering RNA significantly augmented Hcy-induced ER stress. Meanwhile, the expressions of ER stress-related factor including GRP78, PERK, ATF6 and XBP-1, were significantly decreased when the ERO1α gene was over-expressed in hepacytes. Our results suggested that ERO1α may be involved in Hcy-induced hepar ER stress, and the inhibition of ERO1α expression can accelerate this process.

Substances for reduction of the contamination of feed by mycotoxins: a review

The global occurrence of mycotoxins is considered to be a major risk factor for human and animal health. Contamination of different agricultural commodities with mycotoxins still occurs despite the most strenuous prevention efforts. As a result, mycotoxin contaminated feed can cause serious disorders and diseases in farm animals. A number of approaches, such as physical and chemical detoxification procedures, have been used to counteract mycotoxins. However, only a few of them have practical application. A recent and promising approach to protect animals against the harmful effects of mycotoxin contaminated feed is the use of substances for reduction of the contamination of feed by mycotoxins. These substances, so-called mycotoxin binders (MB), are added to the diet in order to reduce the absorption of mycotoxins from the gastrointestinal tract and their distribution to blood and target organs, thus preventing or reducing mycotoxicosis in livestock. Recently, the use of such substances as technological feed additives has been officially allowed in the European Union. The efficacy of MB appears to depend on the properties of both the binder and the mycotoxin. Depending on their mode of action, these feed additives may act either by binding mycotoxins to their surface (adsorption), or by degrading or transforming them into less toxic metabolites (biotransformation). Biotransformation can be achieved by mycotoxin-degrading enzymes or by microorganisms producing such enzymes. Various inorganic adsorbents, such as hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate, zeolites, bentonites, clays, and activated carbons, have been tested and used as MB. An interesting alternative to inorganic adsorbents for the detoxification of mycotoxins is the use of organic binders, such as yeast cell wall components, synthetic polymers (cholestyramine, polyvinylpyrrolidone), humic substances and dietary fibres. This paper gives an overview of the current knowledge and situation in the field of MB. The most important types of MB, mechanism of their action, and their application as a part of general strategy to counteract mycotoxins are described in this review. Recent advances in the use and study of MB, as well as data of their in vitro and in vivo effectiveness are given. Problems, potential, current trends and perspectives associated with the use of MB are discussed as well in the review.