Roberto Ciarcia

Background: The presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in food and feed is a public health concern. OTA intoxication is caused by several mechanisms, one of which consists of the alteration of the antioxidant activity of the cell due to the oxidative stress (OS). In this context, the use of natural antioxidant substances could be a potential biological decontamination method of mitigating the negative outcomes induced by OTA. Methods: we aimed to investigate how a red orange and lemon extract (RLE), rich in anthocyanins, would affect OTA-treated rats. The current work sought to clarify the renal protective efficacy of RLE in an OTA-treated rat model (RLE (90 mg/kg b.w.); OTA (0.5 mg/kg b.w.)) by investigating, thorough Western blot analysis, the involvement of the Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. The OS parameters and inflammatory status were evaluated by spectrophotometry. The inflammatory infiltrates in the kidney were evaluated by immunohistochemical assays. Results and Conclusion: Our findings showed a significant increase in oxidative and inflammatory parameters after OTA exposure, while the OTA + RLE co-treatment counteracted both the inflammatory and OS damage through the modulation of the Nrf2 pathway.