Speaker
Description
Mycotoxin contamination, particularly with ochratoxin A (OTA), poses significant food safety and health risks, inducing oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, and disrupting intestinal barrier function. This study assessed the protective effects of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) compounds in differentiated Caco-2 cells exposed to intestinal digests of bread variants: control bread (C), bread with OTA (OTA), bread with bilberries 2% (VM), and bread containing both OTA and bilberries 2% (OTA-VM).
Apoptosis/necrosis analysis revealed that OTA digests significantly increased dead cell counts (5.10 ± 0.34%) compared to OTA-VM digests (2.16 ± 0.61%), with similar trends observed for cells in early and late apoptosis. ROS levels showed a 15% reduction in oxidative stress in OTA-VM-exposed cells compared to OTA alone.
Gene expression analysis highlighted the ability of bilberries to partially modulate mitochondrial and barrier-related genes, including CLAU-2, OCCLUDIN, SRXN1, and SLC7A11, essential for oxidative stress response, cellular defense, and intestinal integrity. These findings underscore the potential of bilberries to mitigate OTA-induced cellular damage and oxidative stress, supporting their role as natural functional food ingredients for promoting intestinal health.
| Presenting author | Denisia Iulia Pasca |
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