Bioprotection of antioxidant compounds against the toxic effect of aflatoxin B1 in Vero cells.

SABINI MC; ESCOBAR FM; CARIDDI LN; MENIS CANDELA F; MAGNOLI A; BARBERIS C; COMINI L; SABINI LI; DALCERO A

Congreso; III Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biología de la República Argentina; 2015

Fungal toxins negatively affect production parameters and generate severe economic losses. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), produced by strains of A. flavus and A. parasiticus, is carcinogenic, teratogenic, hepatotoxic, immunotoxic and at high doses it could be lethal. Natural. products have been shown to posses mycotoxin detoxifying capacity. Achyrocline satureioides, "Marcela del campo", has many bioactivities and, is a promising option to detoxify AFB1. The objective of this work was to evaluate the ability of the main antioxidant compounds, luteolin (L), quercetin (Q), chlorogenic acid (CLA) and caffeic acid (CA), of A. satureioides to protect cells from toxic damage exerted by AFB1. AFB1 was obtained by extraction and purification from a culture of A. parasiticus NRRL 299. Cytotoxicity studies: monolayers of Vero cells were treated with different concentrations of AFB1 (0.01-10 μg/mL) and viability was evaluated using the MTT reduction technique. Protection assays: monolayers of Vero cells were treated simultaneously with AFB1 (0.01 and 0.1 μg/mL) and with non-cytotoxic concentrations of: L (50 μg/mL), Q (50 and 100 μg/mL) and CLA and CA (100 and 200 μg/mL), in independent assays. The results indicated high toxic power of AFB1 (CC50= 0.03 μg/mL). The bioprotection studies revealed that the cells were protected from the toxic effect of AFB1 by CLA, L and Q. When cells were treated with AFB1 at 0.01 μg/mL and CLA or L, a viability percentage similar to that of the cell control was achieved. CA did not protect the cellular system. The results are promising and encourage the continuation of this research.