Advances in the Effect of Mycotoxin on Lipid Peroxide and Antioxidant Status of Animals

Dear Colleagues,

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites found as contaminants in agricultural commodities and feed. Mycotoxins are considered a major risk for animal health worldwide. Oxidative stress is behind the toxicity of mycotoxins. In fact, the imbalance between free radicals (ROS) and the antioxidant capacity of the animals can cause chemical damage to DNA, membranes, proteins and lipids. The generation of ROS (as superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical or perhydroxyl radical) activates p53, p38, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and caspases, up-regulates Bax expression and down-regulates the Bcl2 protein, inducing cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the overproduction of ROS may lead to the release of calcium and free iron into the cytoplasm, generating highly reactive radicals that damage DNA and membranes due to the polyunsaturated fatty acid residues of phospholipids contents. In turn, lipid peroxidation may also damage some organelles including peroxisomes, mitochondria, and the endoplasmic reticulum, causing detrimental changes in the main targets of ROS, involving the enzymatic systems of the electron-transport chain and antioxidant mechanisms as Nrf2, GPx, SOD and CAT expression. Therefore, the lipid peroxidation may also lead to cell apoptosis under a vicious cycle promoting ROS generation. Moreover, the production of ROS can promote the up-regulation of NF-ᴋB expression and the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8, leading to ROS overproduction. Hence, the oxidative stress induced by mycotoxins is a harmful feedback process that increases the cellular damage and determines the toxicity of mycotoxins.

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Meca
Dr. Insaf Riahi
Dr. Laura Escrivá Llorens
Guest Editors

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• mycotoxins
• oxidative stress
• apoptosis
• lipid peroxidation
• animal health