In vitro exposure of Penicillium mycotoxins with or without a modified yeast cell wall extract (mYCW) on bovine macrophages (BoMacs)

Penicillium mycotoxins (PMs) are contaminants that are frequently found in grain or crop-based silage for animal feed. Previously, we have characterized the potential immunotoxicity of the following PMs: citrinin (CIT), ochratoxin A (OTA), patulin (PAT), mycophenolic acid (MPA), and penicillic acid (PA) by using a bovine macrophage cell line (BoMacs). In the present study, cell proliferation was used as a bioassay endpoint to evaluate the efficacy of a modified yeast cell wall extract (mYCW), for preventing PM toxicity under various in vitro conditions such as the following: pH (3, 5, 7), incubation time (1, 2, 4, 6 h), percentage of mYCW (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 %), and PM concentration. mYCW was most effective in preventing the toxicity of 12.88 and 25.8 mu M OTA at pH 3.0 (p < 0.0001), regardless of incubation time (p < 0.0001) and the percentage of mYCW (p < 0.0001). An incubation time of 6 h (p < 0.05) or 0.5 and 1.0 % mYCW (p < 0.0001) significantly improved the efficacy of mYCW for preventing CIT toxicity. In contrast, 0.5 and 1.0 % of mYCW appeared to exacerbate the PAT toxicity (p < 0. 0001). This effect on PAT toxicity was constantly observed with higher PAT concentrations, and it reached significance at a concentration of 0.70 mu M (p < 0.0001). mYCW had no effect on PA toxicity. These results suggest that mYCW may reduce OTA toxicity and, to some extent, CIT toxicity at pH 3.0. Although PAT toxicity was increased by mYCW treatment, PAT is readily degraded during heat treatment and may therefore be dealt with using other preventative measures.