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

Effect of Acrylamide and Mycotoxins in SH-SY5Y Cells: A Review

Thermal processes induce the formation of undesired toxic components, such as acrylamide (AA), which has been shown to induce brain toxicity in humans and classified as Group 2A by the International Agency of Research in Cancer (IARC), as well as some mycotoxins. AA and mycotoxins' toxicity is studied in several in vitro models, including the neuroblastoma cell line model SH-SY5Y cells. Both AA and mycotoxins occur together in the same food matrix cereal base (bread, pasta, potatoes, coffee roasting, etc.). Therefore, the goal of this review is to deepen the knowledge about the neurological effects that AA and mycotoxins can induce on the in vitro model SH-SY5Y and its mechanism of action (MoA) focusing on the experimental assays reported in publications of the last 10 years. The analysis of the latest publications shows that most of them are focused on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and alteration in protein expression, while others are interested in oxidative stress, axonopathy, and the disruption of neurite outgrowth. While both AA and mycotoxins have been studied in SH-SY5Y cells separately, the mixture of them is starting to draw the interest of the scientific community. This highlights a new and interesting field to explore due to the findings reported in several publications that can be compared and the implications in human health that both could cause. In relation to the assays used, the most employed were the MTT, axonopathy, and qPCR assays. The concentration dose range studied was 0.1-10 mM for AA and 2 fM to 200 µM depending on the toxicity and time of exposure for mycotoxins. A healthy and varied diet allows the incorporation of a large family of bioactive compounds that can mitigate the toxic effects associated with contaminants present in food. Although this has been reported in some publications for mycotoxins, there is still a big gap for AA which evidences that more investigations are needed to better explore the risks for human health when exposed to AA and mycotoxins.

Cytoprotective, Antiproliferative, and Anti-Oxidant Potential of the Hydroethanolic Extract of Fridericia chica Leaves on Human Cancer Cell Lines Exposed to α- and β-Zearalenol

Fridericia chica (Bignoniaceae) is a Colombian Caribbean plant with numerous health benefits, including properties such as wound healing, immune system stimulation, and antioxidant capacity, among others. Mycotoxins alpha-zearalenol (α-ZEL) and beta-zearalenol (β-ZEL) are phase I metabolites of zearalenone, a natural product involved in endocrine disruption and cell proliferation processes. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic potential of the hydroethanolic extract of F. chica leaves (HEFc) and determine their protective effects against proliferation induced by α-ZEL and β-ZEL on human hepatoma HepG2, lung cancer Calu-1, and primary normal human epidermal keratinocytes, neonatal (HEKn). The cytotoxicity of HEFc was measured in a range from 4 to 1000 µg/mL and from 0.4 to 100 μM for both α-ZEL and β-ZEL. Cell production of intracellular ROS was monitored using the H2-DCFDA probe. The cells exposed to HEFc presented IC50 of 128, 249, and 602 µg/mL for the HepG2, Calu-1, and HEKn cells, respectively. A greater selectivity was seen in HepG2 cells [selectivity index (SI) = 3.5] than in Calu-1 cells (SI = 2.4). Cells treated with mycotoxins remained viable during the first day, and cell proliferation increased at low tested concentrations (0.4-6.3 µM) in all three cell lines. However, after 48 h treatment, cells exposed to 50 and 100 µM of α-ZEL and β-ZEL displayed decreased viability. HEFc at 16 µg/mL was able to give some protection against cytotoxicity induced by high concentrations of β-ZEL in HepG2, reducing also cell proliferation elicited at low levels of α-ZEL and β-ZEL. ROS production was not observed in cells treated with this HEFc concentration; however, it prevented ROS formation induced by treatment with 50 µM α-ZEL or β-ZEL. In summary, HEFc isolated from plants grown in northern Colombia displayed promising results against cell proliferation and oxidative stress caused by mycotoxins.

Study of Competitive Displacement of Curcumin on α-zearalenol Binding to Human Serum Albumin Complex Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy

α-zearalenol (α-ZOL) is a mycotoxin with a strong estrogen effect that affects the synthesis and secretion of sex hormones and is transported to target organs through human serum albumin (HSA). Additionally, it has been reported that curcumin can also bind to HSA with high affinity at the same binding site as α-ZOL. Additionally, several studies reported that reducing the bound fraction of α-ZOL contributes to speeding up the elimination rate of α-ZOL to reduce its hazard to organs. Therefore, to explore the influence of a nutrition intervention with curcumin on α-ZOL effects, the competitive displacement of α-ZOL from HSA by curcumin was investigated using spectroscopic techniques, ultrafiltration techniques and HPLC methods. Results show that curcumin and α-ZOL share the same binding site (subdomain IIA) on HSA, and curcumin binds to HSA with a binding constant of 1.12 × 10⁵ M⁻¹, which is higher than that of α-ZOL (3.98 × 10⁴ M⁻¹). Ultrafiltration studies demonstrated that curcumin could displace α-ZOL from HSA to reduce α-ZOL’s binding fraction. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that curcumin could reduce the hydrophobicity of the microenvironment of an HSA–α-ZOL complex. This study is of great significance for applying curcumin and other highly active foodborne components to interfere with the toxicokinetics of α-ZOL and reduce its risk of its exposure.

Therapeutic Potential of Allicin and Aged Garlic Extract in Alzheimer’s Disease

Garlic, Allium sativum, has long been utilized for a number of medicinal purposes around the world, and its medical benefits have been well documented. The health benefits of garlic likely arise from a wide variety of components, possibly working synergistically. Garlic and garlic extracts, especially aged garlic extracts (AGEs), are rich in bioactive compounds, with potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective activities. In light of these effects, garlic and its components have been examined in experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia without therapy, and a growing health concern in aging societies. With the aim of offering an updated overview, this paper reviews the chemical composition, metabolism and bioavailability of garlic bioactive compounds. In addition, it provides an overview of signaling mechanisms triggered by garlic derivatives, with a focus on allicin and AGE, to improve learning and memory.