# Tannins: A Promising Antidote to Mitigate the Harmful Effects of Aflatoxin B1 to Animals

## TL;DR

Tannins can reduce the harmful effects of aflatoxin B1 in animals by fighting oxidative stress and inflammation.

## Contribution

This review highlights tannins as a natural antidote to aflatoxin B1 toxicity through multiple protective mechanisms.

## Key findings

- Tannins repair intestinal damage by boosting antioxidant enzymes and tight junction proteins.
- Tannins reduce DNA damage and cell death by down-regulating pro-apoptotic genes.
- Tannins improve intestinal flora balance and enhance antioxidant capacity via signaling pathways.

## Abstract

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a major metabolite of aflatoxin, is a highly toxic carcinogen. It frequently contaminates feed due to improper storage of feed ingredients such as corn and peanut meal, with the contamination risk further escalating alongside the increasing incorporation of plant-based proteins in feed formulations. Upon entering an organism, AFB1 is metabolized into highly reactive derivatives, which trigger an oxidative stress-inflammation vicious cycle by binding to biological macromolecules, damaging cellular structures, activating apoptotic and inflammatory pathways, and inhibiting antioxidant systems. This cascade leads to stunted growth, impaired immunity, and multisystem dysfunction in animals. Long-term accumulation can also compromise reproductive function, induce carcinogenesis, and pose risks to human health through residues in the food chain. Tannins are natural polyphenolic compounds widely distributed in plants which exhibit significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and can effectively mitigate the toxicity of AFB1. They can repair intestinal damage by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and up-regulating the gene expression of intestinal tight junction proteins, regulate the balance of intestinal flora, and improve intestinal structure. Meanwhile, tannins can activate antioxidant signaling pathways, up-regulate the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes to enhance antioxidant capacity, exert anti-inflammatory effects by regulating inflammation-related signaling pathways, further reduce DNA damage, and decrease cell apoptosis and pyroptosis through such means as down-regulating the expression of pro-apoptotic genes. This review summarizes the main harm of AFB1 to animals and the mitigating mechanisms of tannins, aiming to provide references for the resource development of tannins and healthy animal farming.