Therapeutic Effect of Natural Products and Dietary Supplements on Aflatoxin-Induced Nephropathy

Abstract

Aflatoxins are harmful natural contaminants found in foods and are known to be hepatotoxic. However, recent studies have linked chronic consumption of aflatoxins to nephrotoxicity in both animals and humans. Here, we conducted a systematic review of active compounds, crude extracts, herbal formulations, and probiotics against aflatoxin-induced renal dysfunction, highlighting their mechanisms of action in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The natural products and dietary supplements discussed in this study alleviated aflatoxin-induced renal oxidative stress, inflammation, tissue damage, and markers of renal function, mostly in animal models. Therefore, the information provided in this review may improve the management of kidney disease associated with aflatoxin exposure and potentially aid in animal feed supplementation. However, future research is warranted to translate the outcomes of this study into clinical use in kidney patients.

Keywords: aflatoxin-B1; antioxidant; dietary supplement; kidney; natural product; oxidative stress.

Figure 1

Schematic representation of the mechanism of action of natural products and dietary supplements against AFB1-induced nephrotoxicity. AFB1 and its metabolite, AFB1-8,9 epoxide, which are metabolized in the liver, increase ROS and induce kidney tissue damage, thereby increasing renal function markers. The ROS-generated induce mitochondrial apoptosis by inhibiting the anti-apoptotic BCl-2 and promoting the pro-apoptotic Bax, cytochrome-C, and caspase 9 and 3. AFB1 also interferes with the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway and its downstream genes. The natural products and dietary supplements mentioned in this review may reverse the effects of AFB1 on kidney function. The image was created using BioRender.

Figure 2

Chemical structures of natural products and dietary supplements against AFB1-induced nephrotoxicity. (I) Curcumin, (II) Resveratrol, (III) Gallic acid, (IV) Caffeic acid, (V) Diosmin, (VI) Apigenin, (VII) Morin, (VIII) Esculin, (IX) Fucoidans, (X) Selenomethionine, (XI) Vitamin E, (XII) 3-indole propionic acid, (XIII) Lycopene. The compounds listed are classified as phenolics (I–IV), flavonoids (V–VII), coumarin glucoside (VIII), polysaccharide (IX), amino acid (X), vitamin (XI), tryptophan metabolite (XII), and carotenoid (XIII). The chemical structures were sketched using ChemDraw Professional Software Ultra 22.2 PerkinElmer (CambridgeSoft, Cambridge, MA, USA).