Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), an extremely toxic mycotoxin that extensively contaminates feed and food worldwide, poses a major hazard to poultry and human health. Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from turmeric, has attracted great attention due to its wonderful antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, effects of curcumin on the kidneys of ducks exposed to AFB1 remain unclear. Additionally, the underlying mechanism between AFB1 and ferroptosis (based on excessive lipid peroxidation) has not been sufficiently elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of curcumin against AFB1-induced nephrotoxicity in ducklings. The results indicated that curcumin alleviated AFB1-induced growth retardation and renal distorted structure in ducklings. Concurrently, curcumin inhibited AFB1-induced mitochondrial-mediated oxidative stress by reducing the expression levels of oxidative damage markers malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2 deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and improved the expression of mitochondria-related antioxidant enzymes and the Nrf2 pathway. Notably, curcumin attenuated iron accumulation in the kidney, inhibited ferritinophagy via the NCOA4 pathway, and balanced iron homeostasis, thereby alleviating AFB1-induced ferroptosis in the kidney. Collectively, our results suggest that curcumin alleviates AFB1-induced nephrotoxicity in ducks by inhibiting mitochondrial-mediated oxidative stress, ferritinophagy, and ferroptosis and provide new evidence for the mechanism of AFB1-induced nephrotoxicity in ducklings treated with curcumin.

Graphical abstract

中文翻译：

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姜黄素减轻 AFB1 诱导的鸭肾毒性：调节线粒体氧化应激、铁蛋白自噬和铁死亡

黄曲霉毒素 B1 (AFB1) 是一种剧毒霉菌毒素，在全球范围内广泛污染饲料和食品，对家禽和人类健康构成重大危害。姜黄素是一种从姜黄中提取的多酚，由于其出色的抗氧化性能而引起了极大的关注。然而，姜黄素对暴露于 AFB1 的鸭子肾脏的影响仍不清楚。此外，AFB1 和铁死亡（基于过度脂质过氧化）之间的潜在机制尚未得到充分阐明。本研究旨在探讨姜黄素对 AFB1 诱导的雏鸭肾毒性的保护作用及其潜在机制。结果表明，姜黄素减轻了 AFB1 引起的雏鸭生长迟缓和肾脏结构扭曲。同时，姜黄素通过降低氧化损伤标志物丙二醛（MDA）和8-羟基-2脱氧鸟苷（8-OHdG）的表达水平来抑制AFB1诱导的线粒体介导的氧化应激，并提高线粒体相关抗氧化酶和Nrf2的表达。途径。值得注意的是，姜黄素可减弱肾脏中铁的积累，通过 NCOA4 途径抑制铁蛋白自噬，并平衡铁稳态，从而减轻 AFB1 诱导的肾脏铁死亡。总的来说，我们的结果表明姜黄素通过抑制线粒体介导的氧化应激、铁蛋白自噬和铁死亡来减轻 AFB1 诱导的鸭肾毒性，并为姜黄素处理的 AFB1 诱导的鸭肾毒性机制提供新的证据。

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