Alleviating Effects of Ethanol Extract from Acremonium terricola Culture on Patulin Toxicity.

Exposure to patulin (PAT) poses a significant health risk to animals, emphasizing the need for natural, safe substances to mitigate toxicity. Acremonium terricola culture (ATC), a fungal fermentation-derived feed additive, is known for its antioxidant properties, yet its potential to alleviate mycotoxin-induced toxicity remains largely uninvestigated. In this study, the ethanol extracts from the ATC (EEAT) were prepared with a total phenolic content of 67.9 mg GAE/g and a total flavonoid content of 32.7 mg RE/g. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis was employed to investigate the bioactive components in EEAT. In PAT-exposed Caenorhabditis elegans models, EEAT treatment significantly enhanced locomotory capacity and elevated antioxidant enzyme activities by 63.1% (SOD) and 90.1% (GSH-ST), respectively. Molecular docking analysis revealed that key active compounds in EEAT, such as coumarin, succinic acid, and trigonelline, exhibited effective binding affinities to potential targets SIR-2.1 and DAF-2. Notably, coumarin and trigonelline were most effective in alleviating PAT toxicity, as evidenced by rescued locomotor rates and oxidative impairment in C. elegans. Our findings not only elucidate the molecular basis of EEAT-mediated PAT mitigation but also establish A. terricola culture as a sustainable antioxidant.