Estrogenic and Non-Estrogenic Disruptor Effect of Zearalenone on Male Reproduction: A Review

Construction of a self-reporting molecularly-imprinted electrochemical sensor based on CuHCF modified by rGNR-rGO for the detection of zearalenone

A self-reporting molecularly-imprinted electrochemical sensor is prepared for the detection of Zearalenone (ZEA). Firstly, the reduced graphene nanoribbons and reduced graphene oxide (rGNR-rGO) were simultaneously modified onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to improve the sensor's sensitivity. After electrodepositing copper nanoparticles onto the rGNR-rGO/GCE, cyclic voltammetry scanning was performed in potassium ferrocyanide solution, and copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) was deposited onto rGNR-rGO/GCE to further improve the sensor's sensitivity while giving it self-reporting capability. Then, molecularly-imprinted polymer films were prepared on the CuHCF/rGNR-rGO/GCE to ensure the selectivity of the sensor. It is found that the linear range of ZEA detection by the constructed sensor is 0.25-500 ng·mL -1, with a detection limit of 0.09 ng·mL -1. This sensor shows the merits of good selectivity, high sensitivity and accurate detection, providing a great possibility for the precise detection of low concentration ZEA in food.

The influence of different abiotic conditions on the concentrations of free and conjugated deoxynivalenol and zearalenone in stored wheat

Environmental factors influence fungal growth and mycotoxin production in stored grains. However, the concentrations of free mycotoxins and their conjugates and how they are impacted by different interacting environment conditions have not been previously examined. The objectives of this study were to examine the impact of storage conditions (0.93-0.98 aw) and temperature (20-25 °C) on (a) the concentrations of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone and their respective glucosides/conjugates and (b) the concentrations of emerging mycotoxins in both naturally contaminated and irradiated wheat grains inoculated with Fusarium graminearum. Contaminated samples were analysed for multiple mycotoxins using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Method validation was performed according to the acceptable performance criteria set and updated by the European Commission regulations No. 2021/808/EC. As an important conjugate of deoxynivalenol, the concentrations of deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside were significantly different from its precursor deoxynivalenol at 0.93 aw (22% moisture content- MC) at 25 °C in the naturally contaminated wheat with a ratio proportion of 56:44% respectively. The high concentrations of deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside could be influenced by the wheat's variety and/or harvested season/fungal strain type/location. Zeralenone-14-sulfate concentrations were surprisingly three times higher than Zearalenone in the naturally contaminated wheat at 0.98 aw (26% MC) at both temperatures. Emerging mycotoxins such as moniliformin increased with temperature rise with the highest concentrations at 0.95 aw and 25 °C. These findings highlight the influence and importance of storage aw x temperature conditions on the relative presence of free vs conjugated mycotoxins which can have implications for food safety.

Zearalenone modulates the function of goat endometrial cells via the mitochondrial quality control system

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin known for its estrogen-like effects, which can disrupt the normal physiological function of endometrial cells and potentially lead to abortion in female animals. However, the precise mechanism by which ZEN regulates endometrial function remains unclear. In this study, we found that the binding receptor estrogen receptors for ZEN is extensively expressed across various segments of the uterus and within endometrial cells, and a certain concentration of ZEN treatment reduced the proliferation capacity of goat endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) and endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). Meanwhile, cell cycle analysis revealed that ZEN treatment leaded to cell cycle arrest in goat EECs and ESCs. To explore the underlying mechanism, we investigated the mitochondrial quality control systems and observed that ZEN triggered excessive mitochondrial fission and disturbed the balance of mitochondrial fusion-fission dynamics, impaired mitochondrial biogenesis, increased mitochondrial unfolded protein response and mitophagy in goat EECs and ESCs. Additionally, ZEN treatment reduced the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, heightened the production of hydrogen peroxide and reactive oxygen species, and caused cellular oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. These results suggest that ZEN has adverse effects on goat endometrium cells by disrupting the mitochondrial quality control system and affecting cell cycle and proliferation. Understanding the underlying molecular pathways involved in ZEN-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and its consequences on cell function will provide critical insights into the reproductive toxicity of ZEN and contribute to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of animals and humans exposed to this mycotoxin.

Associations between mycoestrogen exposure and sex steroid hormone concentrations in maternal serum and cord blood in the UPSIDE pregnancy cohort

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a fungal-derived toxin found in global food supplies including cereal grains and processed foods, impacting populations worldwide through diet. Because the chemical structure of ZEN and metabolites closely resembles 17β-estradiol (E2), they interact with estrogen receptors α/β earning their designation as 'mycoestrogens'. In animal models, gestational exposure to mycoestrogens disrupts estrogen activity and impairs fetal growth. Here, our objective was to evaluate relationships between mycoestrogen exposure and sex steroid hormone concentrations in maternal circulation and cord blood for the first time in humans. In each trimester, pregnant participants in the UPSIDE study (n = 297) provided urine for mycoestrogen analysis and serum for hormone analysis. At birth, placental mycoestrogens and cord steroids were measured. We fitted longitudinal models examining log-transformed mycoestrogen concentrations in relation to log-transformed hormones, adjusting for covariates. Secondarily, multivariable linear models examined associations at each time point (1st, 2nd, 3rd trimesters, delivery). We additionally considered effect modification by fetal sex. ZEN and its metabolite, α-zearalenol (α-ZOL), were detected in >93% and >75% of urine samples; >80% of placentas had detectable mycoestrogens. Longitudinal models from the full cohort exhibited few significant associations. In sex-stratified analyses, in pregnancies with male fetuses, estrone (E1) and free testosterone (fT) were inversely associated with ZEN (E1 %Δ: -6.68 95%CI: -12.34, -0.65; fT %Δ: -3.22 95%CI: -5.68, -0.70); while α-ZOL was positively associated with E2 (%Δ: 5.61 95%CI: -1.54, 9.85) in pregnancies with female fetuses. In analysis with cord hormones, urinary mycoestrogens were inversely associated with androstenedione (%Δ: 9.15 95%CI: 14.64, -3.30) in both sexes, and placental mycoestrogens were positively associated with cord fT (%Δ: 37.13, 95%CI: 4.86, 79.34) amongst male offspring. Findings support the hypothesis that mycoestrogens act as endocrine disruptors in humans, as in animal models and livestock. Additional work is needed to understand impacts on maternal and child health.

Screening and Mechanism Study of Three Antagonistic Drugs, Oxysophoridine, Rutin, and Phellodendrine, against Zearalenone-Induced Reproductive Toxicity in Ovine Oocytes

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a common fungal toxin with reproductive toxicity in various grains. It poses a serious threat to ovine and other animal husbandry industries, as well as human reproductive health. Therefore, investigating the mechanism of toxicity and screening antagonistic drugs are of great importance. In this study, based on the natural compound library and previous Smart-seq2 results, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic drugs were selected for screening as potential antagonistic drugs. Three natural plant compounds (oxysophoridine, rutin, and phellodendrine) were screened for their ability to counteract the reproductive toxicity of ZEN on ovine oocytes in vitro using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and reactive oxygen species detection. The compounds exhibited varying pharmacological effects, notably impacting the expression of antioxidant (GPX, SOD1, and SOD2), autophagic (ATG3, ULK2, and LC3), and apoptotic (CAS3, CAS8, and CAS9) genes. Oxysophoridine promoted GPX, SOD1, ULK2, and LC3 expression, while inhibiting CAS3 and CAS8 expression. Rutin promoted SOD2 and ATG3 expression, and inhibited CAS3 and CAS9 expression. Phellodendrine promoted SOD2 and ATG3 expression, and inhibited CAS9 expression. However, all compounds promoted the expression of genes related to cell cycle, spindle checkpoint, oocyte maturation, and cumulus expansion factors. Although the three drugs had different regulatory mechanisms in enhancing antioxidant capacity, enhancing autophagy, and inhibiting cell apoptosis, they all maintained a stable intracellular environment and a normal cell cycle, promoted oocyte maturation and release of cumulus expansion factors, and, ultimately, counteracted ZEN reproductive toxicity to promote the in vitro maturation of ovine oocytes. This study identified three drugs that antagonize the reproductive toxicity of ZEN on ovine oocytes, and compared their mechanisms of action, providing data support and a theoretical basis for their subsequent application in the ovine breeding industry, reducing losses in the breeding industry, screening of ZEN reproductive toxicity antagonists and various toxin antagonists, improving the study of ZEN reproductive toxicity mechanisms, and even protection of human reproductive health.

Fumonisins alone or mixed with other fusariotoxins increase the C22-24:C16 sphingolipid ratios in chicken livers, while deoxynivalenol and zearalenone have no effect

Poultry feed is often contaminated with fumonisins, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone, which can result in oxidative damage, inflammation and change in lipid metabolism. Although sphingolipids play key roles in cells, only the effects of fumonisins on the sphingolipidome are well-documented. In chickens, fumonisins have been shown to increase the sphinganine to sphingosine ratio and the C22-24:C16 sphingolipid ratio, which has been proposed as a new biomarker of toxicity. In this study, we used UHPLC-MSMS targeted analysis to measure the effect of fusariotoxins on sphingolipids in the livers of chickens fed with diets containing fusariotoxins administered individually and in combination, at the maximum levels recommended by the European Commission. Chickens were exposed from hatching until they reached 35 days of age. This study revealed for the first time that fumonisins, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone alone and in combination have numerous effects on the sphingolipidome in chicken livers. A 30-50 % decrease in ceramide, dihydroceramide, sphingomyelin, dihydrosphingomyelin, monohexosylceramide and lactosylceramide measured at the class level was observed when fusariotoxins were administered alone, whereas a 30-100 % increase in dihydroceramide, sphingomyelin, dihydrosphingomyelin, and monohexosylceramide was observed when the fusariotoxins were administered in combination. For these different variables, strong significant interactions were observed between fumonisins and zearalenone and between fumonisins and deoxynivalenol, whereas interactions between deoxynivalenol and zearalenone were less frequent and less significant. Interestingly, an increase in the C22-24:C16 ratio of ceramides, sphingomyelins, and monohexosylceramides was observed in chickens fed the diets containing fumonisins only, and this increase was close when the toxin was administered alone or in combination with deoxynivalenol and zearalenone. This effect mainly corresponded to a decrease in sphingolipids with a fatty acid chain length of 16 carbons, whereas C22-24 sphingolipids were unaffected or increased. In conclusion the C22-24:C16 ratio emerged as a specific biomarker, with variations dependent only on the presence of fumonisins.

Effects of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species on Male Fertility

Significance: In recent decades, male fertility has been severely reduced worldwide. The causes underlying this decline are multifactorial, and include, among others, genetic alterations, changes in the microbiome, and the impact of environmental pollutants. Such factors can dysregulate the physiological levels of reactive species of oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) in the patient, generating oxidative and nitrosative stress that impairs fertility. Recent Advances: Recent studies have delved into other factors involved in the dysregulation of ROS and RNS levels, such as diet, obesity, persistent infections, environmental pollutants, and gut microbiota, thus leading to new strategies to solve male fertility problems, such as consuming prebiotics to regulate gut flora or treating psychological conditions. Critical Issues: The pathways where ROS or RNS may be involved as modulators are still under investigation. Moreover, the extent to which treatments can rescue male infertility as well as whether they may have side effects remains, in most cases, to be elucidated. For example, it is known that prescription of antioxidants to treat nitrosative stress can alter sperm chromatin condensation, which makes DNA more exposed to ROS and RNS, and may thus affect fertilization and early embryo development. Future Directions: The involvement of extracellular vesicles, which might play a crucial role in cell communication during spermatogenesis and epididymal maturation, and the relevance of other factors such as sperm epigenetic signatures should be envisaged in the future.

The biosynthetic logic and enzymatic machinery of approved fungi-derived pharmaceuticals and agricultural biopesticides

Covering: 2000 to 2023The kingdom Fungi has become a remarkably valuable source of structurally complex natural products (NPs) with diverse bioactivities. Since the revolutionary discovery and application of the antibiotic penicillin from Penicillium, a number of fungi-derived NPs have been developed and approved into pharmaceuticals and pesticide agents using traditional "activity-guided" approaches. Although emerging genome mining algorithms and surrogate expression hosts have brought revolutionary approaches to NP discovery, the time and costs involved in developing these into new drugs can still be prohibitively high. Therefore, it is essential to maximize the utility of existing drugs by rational design and systematic production of new chemical structures based on these drugs by synthetic biology. To this purpose, there have been great advances in characterizing the diversified biosynthetic gene clusters associated with the well-known drugs and in understanding the biosynthesis logic mechanisms and enzymatic transformation processes involved in their production. We describe advances made in the heterogeneous reconstruction of complex NP scaffolds using fungal polyketide synthases (PKSs), non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), PKS/NRPS hybrids, terpenoids, and indole alkaloids and also discuss mechanistic insights into metabolic engineering, pathway reprogramming, and cell factory development. Moreover, we suggest pathways for expanding access to the fungal chemical repertoire by biosynthesis of representative family members via common platform intermediates and through the rational manipulation of natural biosynthetic machineries for drug discovery.

Toxicological Effects of Naturally Occurring Endocrine Disruptors on Various Human Health Targets: A Rapid Review

Endocrine-disrupting compounds are chemicals that alter the normal functioning of the endocrine system of living organisms. They can be natural (N-EDCs) or synthetic compounds (S-EDCs). N-EDCs can belong to different groups, such as phytoestrogens (PEs), including flavonoids, or mycotoxins originating from plants or fungi, and cyanotoxins, derived from bacteria. Humans encounter these substances in their daily lives. The aim of this rapid review (RR) is to provide a fine mapping of N-EDCs and their toxicological effects on human health in terms of various medical conditions or adverse consequences. This work is based on an extensive literature search and follows a rigorous step-by-step approach (search strategy, analysis strategy and data extraction), to select eligible papers published between 2019 and 2023 in the PubMed database, and to define a set of aspects characterizing N-EDCs and the different human target systems. Of the N-EDCs identified in this RR, flavonoids are the most representative class. Male and female reproductive systems were the targets most affected by N-EDCs, followed by the endocrine, nervous, bone and cardiovascular systems. In addition, the perinatal, pubertal and pregnancy periods were found to be particularly susceptible to natural endocrine disruptors. Considering their current daily use, more toxicological research on N-EDCs is required.

Toxicity, biodegradation, and nutritional intervention mechanism of zearalenone

Zearalenone (ZEA), a global mycotoxin commonly found in a variety of grain products and animal feed, causes damage to the gastrointestinal tract, immune organs, liver and reproductive system. Many treatments, including physical, chemical and biological methods, have been reported for the degradation of ZEA. Each degradation method has different degradation efficacies and distinct mechanisms. In this article, the global pollution status, hazard and toxicity of ZEA are summarized. We also review the biological detoxification methods and nutritional regulation strategies for alleviating the toxicity of ZEA. Moreover, we discuss the molecular detoxification mechanism of ZEA to help explore more efficient detoxification methods to better reduce the global pollution and hazard of ZEA.

A Novel Bacillus Velezensis for Efficient Degradation of Zearalenone

Zearalenone (ZEN) is considered one of the most serious mycotoxins contaminating grains and their by-products, causing significant economic losses in the feed and food industries. Biodegradation pathways are currently considered the most efficient solution to remove ZEN contamination from foods. However, low degradation rates and vulnerability to environmental impacts limit the application of biodegradation pathways. Therefore, the main research objective of this article was to screen strains that can efficiently degrade ZEN and survive under harsh conditions. This study successfully isolated a new strain L9 which can efficiently degrade ZEN from 108 food ingredients. The results of sequence alignment showed that L9 is Bacillus velezensis. Meanwhile, we found that the L9 degradation rate reached 91.14% at 24 h and confirmed that the primary degradation mechanism of this strain is biodegradation. The strain exhibits resistance to high temperature, acid, and 0.3% bile salts. The results of whole-genome sequencing analysis showed that, it is possible that the strain encodes the key enzyme, such as chitinase, carboxylesterases, and lactone hydrolase, that work together to degrade ZEN. In addition, 227 unique genes in this strain are primarily involved in its replication, recombination, repair, and protective mechanisms. In summary, we successfully excavated a ZEN-degrading, genetically distinct strain of Bacillus velezensis that provides a solid foundation for the detoxification of feed and food contamination in the natural environment.

Zearalenone Induces Blood-Testis Barrier Damage through Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Paraptosis of Sertoli Cells in Goats

Zearalenone (ZEA) is present worldwide as a serious contaminant of food and feed and causes male reproductive toxicity. The implication of paraptosis, which is a nonclassical paradigm of cell death, is unclear in ZEA-induced male reproductive disorders. In this study, the toxic effects of ZEA on the blood-testis barrier (BTB) and the related mechanisms of paraptosis were detected in goats. ZEA exposure, in vivo, caused a significant decrease in spermatozoon quality, the destruction of seminiferous tubules, and damage to the BTB integrity. Furthermore, ZEA exposure to Sertoli cells (SCs) in vitro showed similar dysfunction in structure and barrier function. Importantly, the formation of massive cytoplasmic vacuoles in ZEA-treated SCs corresponded to the highly swollen and dilative endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and paraptosis inhibition significantly alleviated ZEA-induced SC death and vacuolization, which indicated the important contribution of paraptosis in ZEA-induced BTB damage. Meanwhile, the expression of ER stress marker proteins was increased after ZEA treatment but decreased under the inhibition of paraptosis. The vacuole formation and SC death, induced by ZEA, were remarkably blocked by ER stress inhibition. In conclusion, these results facilitate the exploration of the mechanisms of the SC paraptosis involved in ZEA-induced BTB damage in goats.

Mechanisms by which microbial enzymes degrade four mycotoxins and application in animal production: A review

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds that pose a serious threat to animal health and food safety. Therefore, there is an urgent need for safe and efficient methods of detoxifying mycotoxins. As biotechnology has continued to develop, methods involving biological enzymes have shown great promise. Biological enzymatic methods, which can fundamentally destroy the structures of mycotoxins and produce degradation products whose toxicity is greatly reduced, are generally more specific, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Mycotoxin-degrading enzymes can thus facilitate the safe and effective detoxification of mycotoxins which gives them a huge advantage over other methods. This article summarizes the newly discovered degrading enzymes that can degrade four common mycotoxins (aflatoxins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, and ochratoxin A) in the past five years, and reveals the degradation mechanism of degrading enzymes on four mycotoxins, as well as their positive effects on animal production. This review will provide a theoretical basis for the safe treatment of mycotoxins by using biological enzyme technology.

Nuclear Estrogen Receptors in Prostate Cancer: From Genes to Function

Estrogens are almost ubiquitous steroid hormones that are essential for development, metabolism, and reproduction. They exert both genomic and non-genomic action through two nuclear receptors (ERα and ERβ), which are transcription factors with disregulated functions and/or expression in pathological processes. In the 1990s, the discovery of an additional membrane estrogen G-protein-coupled receptor augmented the complexity of this picture. Increasing evidence elucidating the specific molecular mechanisms of action and opposing effects of ERα and Erβ was reported in the context of prostate cancer treatment, where these issues are increasingly investigated. Although new approaches improved the efficacy of clinical therapies thanks to the development of new molecules targeting specifically estrogen receptors and used in combination with immunotherapy, more efforts are needed to overcome the main drawbacks, and resistance events will be a challenge in the coming years. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art on ERα and ERβ mechanisms of action in prostate cancer and promising future therapies.

Dietary exposure to zearalenone in maize and millet grains and their porridges marketed in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)

Maize and millet are among the staple foods of sub-Saharan populations. In Côte d'Ivoire, maize and millet are, respectively, second and third most consumed cereals. In this work, we evaluate the health risk related to the presence of zearalenone in maize and millet and their porridges. The zearalenone contents of the foodstuffs were determined using HPLC-UV. The health risk was characterised by the ratio (R) of probable daily intake (PDI) to acceptable daily intake (ADI). The consumption of maize generates a significant health risk in infants (R = 163.4%). Likewise, millet contains excess zearalenone for infants and children with R = 2934.0% and 118.0%, respectively. The combination of maize and millet increases the risk for infants (R = 457.4%), children (R = 183.0%) and adolescents (R = 101.6%). Millet porridge caused a significant health risk in infants (R = 120%). Consumption of the two types of porridge significantly increases the health risk. Thus, the R ratio varies between 48% and 444% in the case of ingestion of both types of porridge, against 12-56% for maize porridge, and 24-120% for millet porridge. Children and infants were most exposed with respective R of 120% and 444%. These results suggest a need for vigilance to minimise exposure to zearalenone.

Protective effects of lycopene against zearalenone-induced reproductive toxicity in early pregnancy through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects

Zearalenone is a mycotoxin that is widely present in feed and raw materials and can cause severe reproductive toxicity. Lycopene is a natural carotenoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pharmacological effects, but the protective effects of lycopene against zearalenone-induced uterine damage have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of lycopene treatment in early pregnancy on zearalenone-induced uterine damage and pregnancy impairment and its mechanism. Reproductive toxicity was induced by consecutive gavages of zearalenone at 5 mg/kg body weight during gestational days (GDs) 0-10 and in the presence or absence of oral administration of lycopene (20 mg/kg BW). The results showed that lycopene may alleviate zearalenone-induced pathological uterine histological damage and disturbances in oestradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), progesterone (P) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Lycopene increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) production, providing protection against zearalenone-induced oxidative stress in the uterus. Additionally, lycopene significantly reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and elevated levels of the anti-inflammatory factor interleukin 10 (IL-10), inhibiting the zearalenone-induced inflammatory response. In addition, lycopene improved the homeostasis of uterine cell proliferation and death via the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. These data provide strong evidence that lycopene can be further developed into a potential new drug for the prevention or treatment of zearalenone-induced reproductive toxicity.

Endocrine Effect of Some Mycotoxins on Humans: A Clinical Review of the Ways to Mitigate the Action of Mycotoxins

Fungi such as Aspergillus spp. and Fusarium spp., which are commonly found in the environment, pose a serious global health problem. This study aims to present the results of epidemiological studies, including clinical cases, on the relationship between human exposure to some mycotoxins, especially zearalenone and aflatoxin, and the occurrence of reproductive disorders. In addition, examples of methods to reduce human exposure to mycotoxins are presented. In March 2023, various databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE and Web of Science) were systematically searched using Google Chrome to identify studies evaluating the association between exposure to mycotoxins and the occurrence of complications related to impaired fertility or cancer incidence. The analysed data indicate that exposure to the evaluated mycotoxins is widespread and correlates strongly with precocious puberty, reduced fertility and increased cancer incidence in women and men worldwide. There is evidence to suggest that exposure to the Aspergillus mycotoxin aflatoxin (AF) during pregnancy can impair intrauterine foetal growth, promote neonatal jaundice and cause perinatal death and preterm birth. In contrast, exposure to the Fusarium mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA) leads to precocious sexual development, infertility, the development of malformations and the development of breast cancer. Unfortunately, the development of methods (biological, chemical or physical) to completely eliminate exposure to mycotoxins has limited practical application. The threat to human health from mycotoxins is real and further research is needed to improve our knowledge and specific public health interventions.

The Multidirectional Influence of Feed-Borne Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone on Animal Health

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites which pose a significant threat for global food and feed security [...].