Licochalcone A mitigates aflatoxin B1-induced immunotoxicity via ferroptosis in bursa of broilers and macrophages

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a mycotoxin which is responsible for severe damage to the immune system of humans and livestock. Licochalcone A (Lico A), a polyphenol derived from turmeric, has attracted great attention due to its wonderful antioxidant properties. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death related to oxidative stress, which plays a crucial role in the resistance of phytochemical to immune-associated injury. Nevertheless, effects of Lico A on the bursa of broilers exposed to AFB₁ remain unclear. In this work, broilers were fed diets supplemented with 2 mg/kg of AFB₁ and 50 mg/kg of Lico A. Meanwhile, various concentrations of Lico A and AFB₁ (15 μM) were used to stimulate macrophages. These results revealed that AFB₁ resulted in more severe bursa atrophy and relative weight reduction; the expression of pro-ferroptosis protein ACSL4 and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly elevated, while the expression of anti-ferroptosis proteins GPX4, xCT, FSP1 and the content of Glutathione (GSH) was obviously reduced. However, Lico A treatment effectively reversed these effects in the bursa of broilers. Meanwhile, in bursa and macrophages, Lico A mitigated the expression of AFB₁-induced apoptosis-associated protein (Caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2) as well as antioxidant protein (Nrf2, GCLM, HO-1). Importantly, ferroptosis was also observed in macrophages induced by AFB₁. Lico A efficaciously alleviated AFB₁-induced mitochondrial membrane potential decrease and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in macrophages; in contrast, Lico A evidently inhibited AFB₁-triggered ROS generation and cytotoxicity, which was disabled by the addition of Erastin. Moreover, Liproxstatin-1 significantly inhibited ROS generation induced by AFB₁. In summary, the present study elucidates that the main mechanism by which Lico A attenuates AFB₁-induced immunotoxicity is through the suppression of ferroptosis, apoptosis, mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, which is promising for the improvement of immunotoxic effects of AFB₁.