Abstract
Contamination of cereal crops with zearalenone (ZEA), a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi, is a worldwide health concern. The study assessed the ameliorative potential of resveratrol (RSV), a potent antioxidant against ZEA induced toxicity in adult male Wistar rats. Rats (n = 40), with an average weight of 100–150 g were used for the exposure study for three weeks. The animals were divided into four groups (I to IV) each comprising 10 rats. Group I was kept as negative control and was administered normal saline. Group II and III were exposed to 2 mg/kg of the mycotoxin, ZEA administered intraperitoneally once every week. Group III was treated with resveratrol (RSV) orally (5 mg/kg) daily. Group IV was treated only with resveratrol (5 mg/kg/daily) as a positive control. The protective effect of resveratrol was evaluated on; biochemical variables, biomarkers of oxidative stress, markers of immunotoxicity, and DNA damage. The findings showed that exposure to ZEA elicited oxidative stress and modulated the antioxidant enzyme activities. A disarray in the lipid profile, parameters of the humoral and cellular immune response; serum cytokines and immunoglobulins was also observed. Further, COMET assay showed detectable DNA lesions. Taken together, RSV was efficacious in reducing and/or reversing the ZEA induced toxicity.
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•The study highlights the manifestation of the zearlenone induced mycotoxicosis in terms of oxidative damage, hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity and DNA damage.•Based on a broad assessment of the parameters evaluated, the key findings clearly suggest an ameliorative effect of resveratrol against the zearalenone-induced immunotoxicity and genotoxicity as the treatment significantly reversed the alterations caused.•This could be attributed to its potent antioxidant status. Taken together our findings unravelled the use of resveratrol as a possible mitigator in zearlenone-induced toxicity in rats.