Epigallocatechin-3-gallate attenuates immunotoxicity of florfenicol and enhances innate immunity in Procambarus clarkii.

Florfenicol (FF) is an antibacterial agent utilized in veterinary medicine, with its residues in livestock associated with immunotoxic effects. This study investigates the potential of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to attenuate florfenicol-induced immunotoxicity in Procambarus clarkii. The administration of EGCG (1 mg/mL) was observed to increase the total hemocyte count, suggesting an enhancement of the immune response. Through using assay kits, the data indicate that EGCG reduces the enzymatic activities of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) and cytochrome P450 (CYP450), which are implicated in cellular damage following FF exposure. Furthermore, EGCG was found to enhance the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and lysozyme (LZM), enzymes associated with antibacterial and antioxidant functions that are otherwise diminished by florfenicol exposure. Histopathological analysis of the hepatopancreas corroborated that EGCG ameliorates tissue damage induced by florfenicol. At the molecular level, EGCG was shown to restore the expression levels of genes (such as Hsp70, caspase3, Crustin, IMD) involved in the florfenicol-induced immune response to baseline levels. In conclusion, EGCG has the capacity to reduce the immunotoxicity of florfenicol in aquatic economic animals and to enhance their immunity and disease resistance via regulating phagocytosis and apoptosis. These findings suggest that EGCG holds promise as a therapeutic agent in reducing florfenicol-induced immunotoxicity.