PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT POMEGRANATE PEEL AGAINST STERIGMATOCYSTIN TOXICITY IN RAT

Introduction and Aim: Sterigmatocystin (Stg) a mycotoxin with mutagenic and carcinogenic properties is commonly found as the contaminant in grains and animal feeds. Pomegranate peel is a rich source of antioxidants, flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. So the aim of the current study was to evaluate the protective effects of aqueous extract of red Pomegranate peel against Stg toxicity in liver, kidney, intestine and lung as well as final body weight using male rats. Methods: Forty eight Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into six groups (8rats/group) including the control group that fed on a standard diet and water without any treatment, group 2 fed on standard diet plus aqueous extract of RPP (250 mg/rat/day), group 3 fed on standard diet plus aqueous extract of RPP (500 mg/ rat/day), group 4 fed on a standard diet and orally Stg. dissolved at a dose (18µg/rat/day), group 5 fed on a standard diet and Stg  plus aqueous extract of RPP (250mg/day) and group 6 fed on a standard diet and Stg. plus aqueous extract of RPP (500mg/day). At the end of the experimental period, blood samples were collected for serum biochemical analyses. After collecting the blood samples all animals were scarified and dissected samples of liver, kidney, intestine and lung were collected for histological examination. Results: The total phenols and total flavonoids, compounds in aqueous extract of RPP were 1.38 mg/ml and 680.28 mg/ml, respectively. However, the antioxidant activity amounted to 68.0% in the determination of radical DPPH scavenging activity. On the other hand, results indicated that rat orally Stg plus aqueous extract of RPP with low dose and high doses showed a significant improvement in final body weight compared with group administrated of Stg alone. While, the effect of aqueous extract of RPP on kidney and liver function of rats, the results indicated that the rat orally Stg alone caused significant increased in urea, creatinine and uric acid compared with the control group. The aqueous extract of RPP alone at the two tested doses did not induce any significant changes in the biochemical parameters or the histological picture. The combined treatment showed significant improvements in all tested parameters and histological pictures in the liver tissues. Moreover, this improvement was more pronounced in the group received the high dose of aqueous extract of RPP. Conclusion: From results it can be concluded that u the aqueous extract of RPP has a potent antioxidant activity and a protective effect against Stg toxicity and this protection was dose dependent. Keywords: Sterigmatocystin, Red pomegranate peels (RPP), aqueous extract, liver and kidney

Modified Rice Straw as Adsorbent Material to Remove Aflatoxin B 1

The aims of the current work are in large part the benefit of rice straw to be used as adsorbent material and natural source of fiber in Fino bread. The rice straw was subjected to high temperature for modification process and the chemical composition was carried out and the native rice straw contained about 41.15% cellulose, 20.46% hemicellulose, and 3.91% lignin while modified rice straw has 42.10, 8.65, and 5.81%, respectively. The alkali number was tested and showed an increase in the alkali consumption due to the modification process. The different concentrations of modified rice straw, aflatoxin B1, and pH were tested for removal of aflatoxin B1 from aqueous media and the maximum best removal was at 5% modified rice straw, 5 ng/mL aflatoxin B1, and pH 7. The modified rice straw was added to Fino bread at a level of 5, 10, and 15% and the chemical, rheological, baking quality, staling, and sensory properties were studied. Modified rice straw induced an increase of the shelf life and the produced Fino bread has a better consistency

Astaxanthin and Docosahexaenoic Acid Reverse the Toxicity of the Maxi-K (BK) Channel Antagonist Mycotoxin Penitrem A

Penitrem A (PA) is a food mycotoxin produced by several terrestrial and few marine Penicillium species. PA is a potent tremorgen through selective antagonism of the calcium-dependent potassium BK (Maxi-K) channels. Discovery of natural products that can prevent the toxic effects of PA is important for food safety. Astaxanthin (AST) is a marine natural xanthophyll carotenoid with documented antioxidant activity. Unlike other common antioxidants, AST can cross blood brain barriers (BBBs), inducing neuroprotective effects. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is polyunsaturated ω-3 fatty acid naturally occurring in fish and algae. DHA is essential for normal neurological and cellular development. This study evaluated the protective activity of AST and DHA against PA-induced toxicity, in vitro on Schwann cells CRL-2765 and in vivo in the worm Caenorhbitidis elegans and Sprague Dawley rat models. PA inhibited the viability of Schwann cells, with an IC50 of 22.6 μM. Dose-dependent treatments with 10–100 μM DHA significantly reversed the PA toxicity at its IC50 dose, and improved the survival of Schwann cells to 70.5%–98.8%. Similarly, dose-dependent treatments with 10–20 μM AST reversed the PA toxicity at its IC50 dose and raised these cells’ survival to 61.7%–70.5%. BK channel inhibition in the nematode C. elegans is associated with abnormal reversal locomotion. DHA and AST counteracted the in vivo PA BK channel antagonistic activity in the C. elegans model. Rats fed a PA-contaminated diet showed high levels of glutamate (GLU), aspartate (ASP), and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), with observed necrosis or absence of Purkinjie neurons, typical of PA-induced neurotoxicity. Dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and norepinephrine (NE) levels were abnormal, Nitric Oxide (NO) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) level in serum and brain homogenates was significantly decreased in PA-treated rats. DHA and AST treatments effectively counteracted the toxic effects of PA and normalized most biochemical parameters in rats. DHA and AST can be useful food additives to prevent and reverse PA food-induced toxicity