Abstract

Several Fusarium toxins are often found in combination in infested cereal grains such as peanuts, rice, wheat, maize and sorghum. Our previous study reported co-occurrence of Fusarium toxins fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) and Zearalenone (ZEA) in all food analyzed from Côte d’Ivoire namely rice, maize, peanut and millet. However, a few studies have been reported that address the toxicity of Fusarium toxins mixtures. In our preliminary previous study on combination of FB₁ and ZEA on human intestinal cell line Caco-2 results indicated that their interactive effects seemed to be antagonist effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate in the FB1+ZEA-induced antagonist effect on intestinal cells line Caco-2 using several cellular endpoints including Caspace-3 activity modulation, malonedialdehyde (MDA), cells viability as evaluated by lysosome and mitochondria integrities and cell lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. Taken together, our results were contrasted. Concerning lysosome and mitochondria integrities, combined effect of binary mycotoxins is an antagonist effect but by LDH release as a measure of cytoplasmic leakage, the interactive effect seems to be an additive effect. MDA production induced by ZEA+FB₁ was more additive effect but not synergistic effect. Caspace-3 activity modulation by ZEA+FB₁ after 6 and 24 h of incubation toxins with cells was additive effect, but after 3 h of incubation ZEA have a tendency to reduce the effect of FB₁. Our results suggest that combined effects of binary Fusarium toxins ZEA and FB₁ in cell line Caco-2 were unpredictable and varied according to several parameters such as the cellular endpoints and the duration of cells incubation with toxicants.

Key words: Fusarium toxins, interactive effect, caspace-3 kinetic activity, cells viability, malonedialdehyde (MDA), production.