Effect of Ozone-Treated Aflatoxin Contaminated Diets on DNA Damage, Expression of Androgen and Androgen Receptor Genes and Histopathological Changes in Japanese Quail

摘要

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of the ozone treatment on the toxicityproblems induced by contaminated feed with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The genetic and histopathological changesin Japanese quail were studied. Sixty, three-week old male quail were randomly distributed into 6 experimentalgroups (10 birds per group). These birds were fed the following diets for three weeks; 1) basal diet (control);2) basal diet treated with ozone for 5 minutes, short duration, (SD diet); 3) basal diet treated for 15 minutes, longduration, (LD diet); 4) basal diet contaminated with aflatoxin AFB1, 1mg/kg diet (AF diet); 5) AF diet treated fora short duration with ozone (AFSD diet); 6) AF diet treated for a long duration with ozone (AFLD diet). Theconcentration of ozone in all treatments was 40 ppm for the short and long durations. The treated samples wereanalyzed for aflatoxin B1 by immune-affinity column (IAC) clean-up and evaluated by high liquidchromatography (HPLC). Compared to the control group the results showed that quail fed the diet contaminatedwith aflatoxin (AF diet) had significantly higher DNA damage (micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytesformation and DNA fragmentation) and significantly lower expression patterns of androgen gene (AN) and itsreceptor (ANR). Histopathological examination revealed severe lesions of liver and testis tissues as comparedto the control group. Moreover, the reduction in expression of AN and ANR was accompanied by reductionin testes weight. Feeding the quail AFSD or AFLD diets resulted in a lower DNA damage and enhancement inthe expression patterns of AN and ANR genes. Less prominent histopathological changes and remarkableamelioration in liver and testis tissues, compared to quail fed diet contaminated with aflatoxin alone were alsoobserved. The enhancement in the expression levels of AN and ANR genes, due to ozone treatments, wasaccompanied by improvement in testes weight. The quail fed diets treated with ozone for five minutes showedsignificantly more genetic and histopathological improvement as well as testes weight as compared to quail fedcontaminated diets treated with ozone for 15 minutes. Furthermore, the quail fed basal diets (without aflatoxinB1contamination) treated for 5 minutes with ozone had more improvements in its genetic and histopathologicalparameters as well as testes weights than the control group. It can be concluded that ozone treatment as anoxidizing agent for five minutes was a best duration for aflatoxin disinfection. It could be useful in food industryfor the detoxification of toxic chemicals and destruction of dangerous micro-organisms.