Acrylamide (AA) can be formed during the thermal processing of carbohydrate-rich foods. Deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium spp., contaminates many cereal-based products. In addition to potential co-exposure through a mixed diet, co-occurrence of AA and DON in thermally processed cereal-based products is also likely, posing the question of combinatory toxicological effects. In the present study, the effects of AA (0.001-3 mM) and DON (0.1-30 µM) on the cytotoxicity, gene transcription, and expression of major cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes were investigated in differentiated human hepatic HepaRG cells. In the chosen ratios of AA-DON (10:1; 100:1), cytotoxicity was clearly driven by DON and no overadditive effects were observed. Using quantitative real-time PCR, about twofold enhanced transcript levels of CYP1A1 were observed at low DON concentrations (0.3 and 1 µM), reflected by an increase in CYP1A activity in the EROD assay. In contrast, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 gene transcription decreased in a concentration-dependent manner after incubation with DON (0.01-0.3 µM). Nevertheless, confocal microscopy showed comparably constant protein levels. The present study provided no indication of an induction of CYP2E1 as a critical step in AA bioactivation by co-occurrence with DON. Taken together, the combination of AA and DON showed no clear physiologically relevant interaction in HepaRG cells.
All major ear rots (F. graminearum, F. verticillioides, and Aspergillus flavus) and their toxins are present in maize of preharvest origin in Hungary. Resistance can be an important tool in reducing the infection and toxin contamination from these rots in maize. Previous results identified resistance differences in maize hybrids that were suitable for use in evaluating their risk from toxigenic fungi and their toxins. During the tests, two methodical improvements were achieved: the use of three isolates of the fungus secured and a more precise estimation of resistance to ear rots and their resistance to toxin accumulation or overproduction. The improvement in sampling and the tests of subsamples made the evaluation for the statistics much more exact. This way, we were able to reduce the Within value, providing a statistically more reliable method of evaluation. Earlier data had confirmed that toxin contamination could not be predicted well from visual ear rot severity data. Contradictory results for hybrid ranking were often identified between isolates. The resistance to disease and toxin contamination is not generally valid. The new suggested methodology compares the performance of hybrids in a large number of epidemic situations to identify adaptable hybrids that can respond to diverse conditions; therefore, the stability of resistance and toxin response is decisive information to evaluate risk analyses. The increased number of disease toxin data allowed for lower LSD 5% values for toxins, a much finer analysis of toxin overproduction and underproduction, and a wider database for stability analyses. This way, we obtained important additional separated information about resistance to accumulation of toxins and about maize resistance to these pathogens that is suitable to provide much more reliable testing than was possible until now. Globally, about 50-100 million metric tons can be saved by excluding susceptible hybrids from commercial production.