Revitalizing health with Lactobacillus isolates: mitigating aflatoxin B1 toxicity in HT-29 cell line and Balb/c mice

Aflatoxins (AFs), carcinogenic mycotoxins found in fermented foods, animal gastrointestinal tracts (GITs), and the environment, can be detoxified by probiotic lactobacilli. The aim of this study was to test whether probiotic lactobacilli can detoxify AFs, carcinogenic mycotoxins prevalent in fermented foods, animal GITs, and the environment.

Five candidate Lactobacillus strains [Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus 195 (G1), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 42 (G2), Levilactobacillus brevis 205 (G3), L. plantarum 165 (G4), and Limosilactobacillus reuteri 100 (G5)] were prepared to compare their ability to reduce aflatoxicosis (AFB1) in vitro and in vivo by evaluating apoptotic factors, inflammatory markers, tight junction, and nutrient transport genes. G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5 bound AFB1 well (with no notable variations). These probiotic isolates lowered Bax and caspase-3 expression in AFB1-treated HT-29 cells and raised Bcl-2 expression. In AFB1-treated cells, these probiotics increased occludin and zonula occludens-1 expression as tight junction markers. In contrast, Lactobacillus strains + AFB1-treated cells expressed fewer nutritional transport genes (amino acid transporter 2, glucose transporter 2, peptide transporter 1, sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter 1) and interleukin-6, an inflammatory marker. In animal models, oral Lactobacillus supplementation reduced AFB1-induced liver injury and increased GST A3 expression via the Nrf2 pathway. These Lactobacillus isolates also reduced CYP 450 1A2 and 3A4 expression.

The results of this study suggest that Lactobacillus strains could be used as a protective strategy against mycotoxin cytotoxicity by promoting the maintenance of standard intestinal cell structure and function and the health of animal models.