Hesperidin flavonoid protects African catfish from aflatoxin B₁-induced oxidative stress, hepato-renal dysfunction,...

Exposure to food-borne toxins, such as aflatoxin B₁ (AFB), is one of the largest issues challenging the aquaculture sustainability worldwide. The objective of the current investigation was to determine whether hesperidin, HES (150 mg/kg diet), could protect African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from food-borne AFB (19.7 µg/kg diet). For 60 days, 160 fish (58.34 ± 0.39 g) were assigned to four treatments, each with four replications (40 fish per treatment; 10 fish per replicate). Group 1 (control) and Group 2 were fed on basal diets fortified with 0 and 150 mg/kg HES, respectively, without AFB exposure. Group 3 and Group 4 were fed basal diets fortified with AFB and AFB + HES, respectively. We evaluated survival, oxidative/antioxidant status, hepatic and renal function, brain neurotransmitters, neuronal damage markers, and tissue histopathology. The findings showed that an AFB-contaminated diet induced oxidative stress by increasing the lipid peroxidation product (MDA) and reducing total antioxidant capacity and catalase activity. A reduction in the survivability (77.5%) and an elevation in the hepatic (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) and renal (creatinine) markers were noticed in the AFB-intoxicated group. AFB exposure lowered the total protein, albumin, and globulin levels. Furthermore, the brain level of acetyl choline esterase was reduced, while the damage marker (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine) level was increased by AFB intoxication. Various pathological alterations were shown in the liver, kidney, brain, and gills of the AFB-intoxicated groups. Dietary HES ameliorated the bad effects of AFB intoxication by increasing the fish survivability (90%), reducing the oxidative stress, and boosting the antioxidant status. Furthermore, the protein profile and brain neurotransmitter were improved with a reduction of the DNA damage marker. Dietary HES restored the tissue histomorphology of the AFB-intoxicated group. We can conclude that the dietary fortification of HES at a level of 150 mg/kg could mitigate the physiological and pathological disorders induced by the widely present toxin (AFB) in African catfish, which results in improvement of the sustainability of this species culture.