An integrated approach for evaluating the interactive effects between azoxystrobin and ochratoxin A: Pathway-based in...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Toxicology
• Food Safety
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Azoxystrobin (AZO) is a widely used fungicide, while ochratoxin A (OTA) is a common foodborne mycotoxin.
• Co-occurrence of AZO and OTA in food poses potential human health risks due to combined toxicity.
• Evaluating the synergistic or additive toxic effects of AZO and OTA is crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the combined toxic effects of azoxystrobin (AZO) and ochratoxin A (OTA) on biological processes.
• To identify potential molecular mechanisms underlying the combined toxicity of AZO and OTA.
• To provide insights into the risk assessment of co-occurring foodborne toxins.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database to obtain response genes and phenotypes for AZO and OTA exposure.
• Employed Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery for Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis.
• Conducted in-vivo studies to assess the effects of isolated and combined exposure to AZO and OTA.

Main Results:

• Both AZO and OTA, individually and in combination, disrupted key biological processes including oxidative stress, inflammatory response, apoptosis, and thyroid hormone regulation.
• The combined exposure group exhibited significantly greater toxicity compared to individual exposure groups.
• Identified specific markers associated with disrupted biological processes, suggesting potential mechanisms of induced toxicity.

Conclusions:

• Combined exposure to azoxystrobin and ochratoxin A presents a greater toxicological risk than individual exposures.
• The study elucidates potential molecular targets and pathways involved in the combined toxicity of fungicides and mycotoxins.
• Findings offer a novel approach for assessing the risks associated with co-occurring foodborne toxins.