Mitigation conferred by banana flower extract against aflatoxin-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, molecular docking, and histological disturbances in rabbits.

This study investigated the protective effects of banana flower extract (BFE) against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune dysfunction in growing rabbits. One hundred and twenty rabbits were divided into four experimental groups: a control group (receiving a vehicle only), an AFB1 group (receiving 0.3 mg AFB1/kg diet), a BFE group (receiving 500 mg/kg banana flower extract), and an AFB1 and BFE group for eight weeks. The results showed that exposure to AFB1 resulted in reduced growth performance, along with elevated liver enzymes, blood lipids, and renal dysfunction (P < 0.05). Additionally, 8-OHdG levels were significantly higher in the AFB1 group, but BFE treatment significantly reduced this elevation (P < 0.05). AFB1 also caused a significant increase in oxidative stress (as indicated by higher MDA and PC levels) and a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, GPx, and TAC) and immune response (IgG and IgM). Pro-inflammatory responses were significantly increased by AFB1 exposure, while BFE treatment effectively prevented apoptosis (P < 0.05) and inflammation (P < 0.01) in the rabbits, and significantly improving immunoglobulin synthesis (P < 0.05). BFE protected against renal and intestinal structural damage induced by AFB1. Molecular docking studies revealed that gallic and protocatechuic acids interacted with BAX (binding energies: -4.17 and -6.78 kcal/mol, respectively), Caspase-3 (-4.28 and -7.38 kcal/mol, respectively), and SOD (-4.16 and -6.38 kcal/mol, respectively). These findings suggest that the compounds may play a role in modulating apoptosis and antioxidant defense. This study underscores the potential of utilizing by-product extracts, such as banana flower extract, to mitigate the adverse effects of aflatoxins in animals through their apoptotic and antioxidant properties.