The Preferential Therapeutic Potential of <em>Chlorella vulgaris</em> against Aflatoxin-Induced Hepatic Injury in Quail
Sawsan S. Elbasuni,
Samar S. Ibrahim,
Rasha Elsabagh,
Mai O. Nada,
Mona A. Elshemy,
Ayman K. Ismail,
Heba M. Mansour,
Heba I. Ghamry,
Samah F. Ibrahim,
Ilhaam Alsaati,
Ahmed Abdeen,
Alshaimaa M. Said
Affiliations
Sawsan S. Elbasuni
Department of Avian and Rabbit Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt
Samar S. Ibrahim
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt
Rasha Elsabagh
Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt
Mai O. Nada
Department of Veterinary Pharmacology, Animal Health Research Institute-Benha Branch, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Benha 13518, Egypt
Mona A. Elshemy
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt
Ayman K. Ismail
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
Heba M. Mansour
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, Giza 3236101, Egypt
Heba I. Ghamry
Department of Home Economics, College of Home Economics, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 960, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
Samah F. Ibrahim
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
Ilhaam Alsaati
Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Abdeen
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt
Alshaimaa M. Said
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt
Aflatoxins (AFs) are the most detrimental mycotoxin, potentially hazardous to animals and humans. AFs in food threaten the health of consumers and cause liver cancer. Therefore, a safe, efficient, and friendly approach is attributed to the control of aflatoxicosis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impacts of Chlorella vulgaris (CLV) on hepatic aflatoxicosis, aflatoxin residues, and meat quality in quails. Quails were allocated into a control group; the CLV group received CLV (1 g/kg diet); the AF group received an AF-contaminated diet (50 ppb); and the AF+CLV group received both treatments. The results revealed that AF decreased the growth performance and caused a hepatic injury, exhibited as an increase in liver enzymes and disrupted lipid metabolism. In addition, AF induced oxidative stress, exhibited by a dramatic increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level and decreases in glutathione (GSH) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. Significant up-regulation in the inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) mRNA expression was also documented. Moreover, aflatoxin residues were detected in the liver and meat with an elevation of fat% alongside a decrease in meat protein%. On the other hand, CLV supplementation ameliorated AF-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory condition in addition to improving the nutritional value of meat and significantly reducing AF residues. CLV mitigated AF-induced hepatic damage, decreased growth performance, and lowered meat quality via its antioxidant and nutritional constituents.
