Sea Bindweed Prevents Mycotoxin Intoxication Through Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Cytoprotective Activities

Mycotoxins are the most frequently occurring natural contaminant in food and feed products. Through the deployment of diverse agricultural strategies or biological, chemical, or physical treatments of crop products, mycotoxin contamination remains a persistent issue for the agricultural sector and food/feed industry. We previously suggested that halophytes, thanks to their high antioxidant activity, could protect animal cell lines from mycotoxin contamination. Here, a hydroalcoholic extract of Calystegia soldanella L. leaves was evaluated for in vitro total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-quenching bioassays, as well as anti-inflammatory (ELISA measurement of IL-8 secretion), ROS-inhibiting production (CellROX Green assay), and calcium influx restoration (fluorescent probe Fura2-QBT assay) activities in two animal cells upon mycotoxin intoxication. C. soldanella extract displayed high antioxidant activities (DPPH IC₅₀ < 80 μg·mL^-1 and TAC of 90 mg AAE·g^-1 DW. Moreover, it exhibited a significant protective action on renal (MDBK) and intestinal (IPEC-J2) cells against zearalenone (ZEA) or T2-toxin contamination, restoring about 75% of cell viability (MTS bioassay) at 1 μg·mL^-1. This effect was accompanied by strong anti-inflammatory, ROS-inhibition, and membrane integrity restoration activities. A bio-guided study revealed that the fraction of C. soldanella extract eluted from C18-bound silica with 60% methanol was the most active one. Upon HPLC and 1D- and 2D-NMR analyses, major compounds identified in this fraction were flavonol-type flavonoids, including quercetin-3-O-glucose (X1), quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (X2), and quercetin-3-O-glucose-6″-acetate (X3). Enriched sub-fractions containing these compounds largely contributed to the cytoprotective effects of C. soldanella, supporting its potential use as a food/feed ingredient.