King Oyster Mushroom Compounds Reduce Liver Inflammation and Improve Gut Health

Greg Howard
16th May, 2024

King Oyster Mushroom Compounds Reduce Liver Inflammation and Improve Gut Health

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • The study by China Agricultural University investigates the use of Pleurotus eryngii (PE) polysaccharides to counteract AFB1 toxicity in ducks
  • PE polysaccharides help reduce liver inflammation, improve gut health, and correct gut microbiota imbalances caused by AFB1
  • The beneficial effects of PE polysaccharides depend on the presence of specific gut microbiota, as they do not protect antibiotic-treated ducks
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a prevalent contaminant in agricultural commodities, posing significant health risks to both animals and humans. A recent study by China Agricultural University[1] explores the potential of Pleurotus eryngii (PE) polysaccharides in mitigating AFB1-induced toxicity in ducks. This research is crucial as it offers insights into new therapeutic methods to counteract AFB1 exposure, which has been linked to severe health issues, including liver cancer in humans[2]. The study identifies the major monosaccharide components of PE polysaccharides as glucose, mannose, galactose, glucuronic acid, and fucose. The findings reveal that dietary PE polysaccharides can alleviate liver inflammation, improve intestinal barrier function, and correct imbalanced gut microbiota caused by AFB1 in ducks. This is significant considering AFB1's detrimental effects on poultry, such as decreased hatchability, reduced growth rate, and impaired immune function[2]. However, the study also shows that PE polysaccharides do not protect the liver and intestines in antibiotic-treated ducks. This indicates that the beneficial effects of PE are closely linked to the presence of specific gut microbiota. The research highlights that the microbiota originating from ducks treated with both PE and AFB1 positively impacts intestinal barriers, reduces inflammation, and enhances the transport of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) via the gut-liver axis compared to microbiota from ducks treated with AFB1 alone. This study builds on previous research that has explored various strategies for degrading aflatoxins in food and feed. For example, physical and chemical methods like gamma-radiation and ozone applications have shown promise in detoxifying aflatoxins[3]. However, these methods can sometimes affect the nutritional properties of food. Biological methods, including the use of bacteria and yeast, have also been investigated for their potential to remove or degrade aflatoxins, although further studies are needed to fully understand these mechanisms[3][4]. The current study by China Agricultural University contributes to this body of knowledge by focusing on a biological method involving PE polysaccharides. It provides a possible mechanism for how these polysaccharides alleviate AFB1-induced liver inflammation by remodeling gut microbiota, regulating microbiota-derived SCFAs transport via the gut-liver axis, and inhibiting inflammatory gene expressions in the liver. In conclusion, the study offers a promising new approach to mitigating AFB1 toxicity in animals through dietary interventions. By improving our understanding of the role of gut microbiota and SCFAs in liver health, this research could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies to protect both animal and human health from the adverse effects of aflatoxins.

HealthAnimal ScienceMycology

References

Main Study

1) Pleurotus eryngii polysaccharides alleviate aflatoxin B1-induced liver inflammation in ducks involving in remodeling gut microbiota and regulating SCFAs transport via the gut-liver axis.

Published 13th May, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132371

Related Studies

2) Harmful Effects and Control Strategies of Aflatoxin B₁ Produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus Strains on Poultry: Review.

https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins11030176

3) Aflatoxin in foodstuffs: Occurrence and recent advances in decontamination.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.06.067

4) Novel strategies for degradation of aflatoxins in food and feed: A review.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109878


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