# Transcriptional insights into aflatoxin B1 induced hepatotoxicity and comparative effects of medicinal herbs in pigs

## TL;DR

This study explores how aflatoxin B1 harms pig livers and how certain herbs may help protect against this damage.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into how medicinal herbs can counteract aflatoxin B1-induced gene expression changes in pigs.

## Key findings

- AFB1 suppressed genes related to biotransformation, detoxification, and redox balance in pig livers.
- Kalmegh and milk thistle upregulated key hepatic pathways, suggesting hepatoprotective effects.
- Turmeric supplementation did not consistently affect target genes under the tested conditions.

## Abstract

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination in animal feed poses a serious risk to livestock health due to its hepatotoxic effects. Many medicinal herbs which may be used as feed additives exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with potential hepatoprotective outcomes. We investigated effects of AFB1 in three concentrations (30 µg/kg BW, 60 µg/kg BW, 120 µg/kg BW) as well as three medicinal herbs, i.e., kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata), milk thistle (Silybum marianum), and turmeric (Curcuma longa) in pigs. Hepatic expression of genes involved in biotransformation, detoxification, antioxidation, energy homeostasis, and immunity were evaluated by high-throughput real-time PCR.

We found that AFB1 significantly suppressed genes involved in biotransformation (CYP2U1, CYP4V2, CYP7B1, CYP26A1, CYP51A1), detoxification (GSS, ABCC2, SULT1E1), redox balance (GPX1, PRDX4), lipid homeostasis (ACOX1), and immune regulation (CP, CRP). Kalmegh and, to a lesser extent, milk thistle supplementation provided a comprehensive upregulation of genes involved in key hepatic pathways maintaining liver integrity. Under the specific experimental conditions, the applied dietary turmeric supplement did not induce consistent effects on the analyzed target genes.

The results indicate that certain medicinal herbs could counteract AFB1-induced gene expression responses in liver. Their application as dietary supplements to reduce potentially harmful effects caused by AFB1 toxicity in farm animals might be an effective tool in improving animal health, productivity and food safety.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-025-05270-1.