2. Academic Validation
  3. The ameliorative role of phlorotannin on aflatoxin B1-induced liver oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury is related to the activation of Nrf2 and Nrf1 signaling pathways in broilers

The ameliorative role of phlorotannin on aflatoxin B1-induced liver oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury is related to the activation of Nrf2 and Nrf1 signaling pathways in broilers

  • J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2025 May 22;16(1):75. doi: 10.1186/s40104-025-01210-z.
Xueqing Ye # 1,  Yuying Yang # 1,  Qinghua Yao 1,  Mengyi Huang 1,  Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian 2,  Rajesh Jha 3,  Wenchao Liu 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Animal Science, College of Coastal Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China.
  • 2 Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Sejong University, Seoul, 05006, South Korea.
  • 3 Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA. rjha@hawaii.edu.
  • 4 Department of Animal Science, College of Coastal Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China. liuwc@gdou.edu.cn.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 40405298 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-025-01210-z
Abstract

Background: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) risks animal and human health, and the liver is considered the most crucial detoxification organ. Phlorotannin (PT) is a polyhydroxy phenol that has a wide range of biological activities, including anti-oxidation and hepatoprotection, which can promote the ability of liver detoxification. This study aimed to elucidate the protective effect of PT on AFB1-induced liver damage in broilers.

Results: In vivo experiment showed that the PT reduced AFB1 content and AFB1-exo-8,9-epoxide DNA (AFBO-DNA) concentration in serum and liver (P < 0.05), improved the histomorphology of liver and hepatic mitochondria, and activated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-related antioxidant and detoxification pathway by upregulating the activities of antioxidant Enzymes (catalase [CAT], Glutathione S-transferase [GST]) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) level (P < 0.05), and inhibited the mRNA expression of CYP1A1 (Cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily A member 1) and phase II detoxification enzyme related genes (GPX1, GSTT1, and NQO1) of broilers exposed to AFB1 (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, PT upregulated the Nrf1 pathway-related mitochondrial biosynthetic genes (Nrf1, mitochondrial transcription factor A [TFAM], mitofusin 1 [MFN1]) in broilers fed AFB1 contaminated diet (P < 0.05). In vitro verification study suggested that the use of Nrf2/Nrf1 inhibitors suppressed the ameliorative role of PT on AFB1-induced liver injury of broilers, which was manifested in the mRNA expression of Nrf2, NQO1, GSTT3, Nrf1, TFAM, and Other genes decreasing (P < 0.05), and down-regulation of the protein expression of Nrf2, total and nucleus p-Nrf2, and total and nucleus p-Nrf1 (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The PT ameliorates oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity by activating the Nrf2-mediated phase II detoxification Enzymes pathway and maintains mitochondrial homeostasis by activating the Nrf1 signaling pathway in broilers exposed to AFB1.

Keywords

Aflatoxin B1; Biological detoxification; Broiler chickens; Liver injury; Phlorotannin.

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