The Protective Role of <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> A2 on the Biochemical and Hepatic Toxicity of Zearalenone in Mice

• Main Authors: Nan Wang, Peng Li, Mingyang Wang, Si Chen, Sheng Huang, Miao Long, Shuhua Yang, Jianbin He
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-10-01
• Series: Toxins
• Subjects: <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> A2; zearalenone (ZEN); feed detoxification; serum enzyme; oxidative damage
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/11/449
• ISSN: 2072-6651

Zearalenone (ZEN) is an estrogen-like mycotoxin produced by <i>Fusarium</i> that seriously compromises the safety of animal and human health. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the protective effect of <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> A2 against biochemical and pathological changes induced by zearalenone in mice. Kunming mice (<i>n</i> = 40; 25 &#177; 2 g) were allotted to four treatment groups: a control group (basic feed); a ZEN group (basic feed with a ZEN dose of 60 mg/kg); an A2 strain fermented feed group (150 g of feed mixed with 150 mL of sterile distilled water and inoculated with 5 mL of phosphate buffer salt (PBS) resuspended A2 strain); and an A2 strain fermented ZEN-contaminated feed group. (A2 strain group 150 mL pure bacterial distilled water system mixed with 150 g ZEN-contaminated feed.) Our results showed that the <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> A2 strain can completely degrade the ZEN-contaminated feed within 5 days. (The concentration of ZEN in fermentation was 60 &#956;g/mL.) After the mice fed for 28 days, compared with the control group, the activities of AST and ALT were increased, the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) were decreased, and the amount of creatinine (CRE), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid (UA), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the ZEN group were increased in the mice serum (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). However, compared with the ZEN group, these biochemical levels were reversed in the A2 strain fermented feed group and in the A2 strain fermented ZEN-contaminated feed group (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). Furthermore, histopathological analysis only showed pathological changes of the mice liver in the ZEN group. The results showed that <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> A2 as additive could effectively remove ZEN contamination in the feed and protect the mice against the toxic damage of ZEN. In conclusion, <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> A2 has great potential use as a microbial feed additive to detoxify the toxicity of zearalenone in production practice.