Radioiodination of zearalenone and determination of Lactobacillus plantarum effect of on zearalenone organ distribution: In silico study and preclinical evaluation

PURPOSE: Zearalenone (ZEN) which is one of the known fusarium species mycotoxin, produced primarily on many cereal crops. Consequently, the current study aims to estimate the possibility of labeling zearalenone and the pattern of accumulation of the produced labeled zearalenone [(125)I]-ZEN in different mice tissues, and the possible protective effect of Lactobacillus plantarum to reduce organ accumulation of Zearalenone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: the experiment was conducted on two groups of mice were used; the two groups received [(125)I] Zearalenone administered by tail vein injection, the first group receive nothing else while the second group received also L. plantarum (as a control agent) orally. The mice were kept under observation for 120 min to monitor zearalenone distribution. RESULTS: by monitoring the zearalenone distribution the maximum concentration was found to be mainly primarily in the intestine (45.8 %) followed by the liver (27.15 %) while in the ovary (the most susceptible organ was (3.22 %) after120 min, in the first group of mice. The same pattern was observed in the second group with concentrations of (46.1 %), (30.19 %) and (0.09 %) in the intestine, liver respectively. CONCLUSION: These results indicated the lactic acid bacteria played a role in decreasing labeled zearalenone in the ovaries which is the target organ. [(125)I]-labeled ZEN is a promising novel tracer for organ imaging and that a significant role that L. plantarum could play in decreasing the zearalenone bioavailability of in mice organs.