Arabic Gum Could Alleviate the Aflatoxin B<sub>1</sub>-provoked Hepatic Injury in Rat: The Involvement of Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory, and Apoptotic Pathways
Noha Ahmed,
Samir M. El-Rayes,
Waleed F. Khalil,
Ahmed Abdeen,
Afaf Abdelkader,
Mohammed Youssef,
Zainab M. Maher,
Amany N. Ibrahim,
Shaymaa M. Abdelrahman,
Samah F. Ibrahim,
Doaa Abdelrahaman,
Mohammed Alsieni,
Osama S. Elserafy,
Heba I. Ghamry,
Hanan T. Emam,
Obeid Shanab
Affiliations
Noha Ahmed
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
Samir M. El-Rayes
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
Waleed F. Khalil
Department of Veterinary Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
Ahmed Abdeen
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt
Afaf Abdelkader
Center of Excellence in Screening of Environmental Contaminants (CESEC), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt
Mohammed Youssef
Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt
Zainab M. Maher
Department of Pathology and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt
Amany N. Ibrahim
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt
Shaymaa M. Abdelrahman
Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt
Samah F. Ibrahim
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
Doaa Abdelrahaman
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Alsieni
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22254, Saudi Arabia
Osama S. Elserafy
Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11956, Egypt
Heba I. Ghamry
Department of Home Economics, College of Home Economics, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 960, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
Hanan T. Emam
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt
Obeid Shanab
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt
Aflatoxin B1 (AF) is an unavoidable environmental pollutant that contaminates food, feed, and grains, which seriously threatens human and animal health. Arabic gum (AG) has recently evoked much attention owing to its promising therapeutic potential. Thus, the current study was conducted to look into the possible mechanisms beyond the ameliorative activity of AG against AF-inflicted hepatic injury. Male Wistar rats were assigned into four groups: Control, AG (7.5 g/kg b.w/day, orally), AF (200 µg/kg b.w), and AG plus AF group. AF induced marked liver damage expounded by considerable changes in biochemical profile and histological architecture. The oxidative stress stimulated by AF boosted the production of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) level along with decreases in the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) level and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. Additionally, AF exposure was associated with down-regulation of the nuclear factor erythroid2–related factor2 (Nrf2) and superoxide dismutase1 (SOD1) protein expression in liver tissue. Apoptotic cascade has also been evoked following AF-exposure, as depicted in overexpression of cytochrome c (Cyto c), cleaved Caspase3 (Cl. Casp3), along with enhanced up-regulation of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and nuclear factor kappa-B transcription factor/p65 (NF-κB/p65) mRNA expression levels. Interestingly, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory contents of AG may reverse the induced oxidative damage, inflammation, and apoptosis in AF-exposed animals.
