Curcumin protects against Aflatoxin B1-induced liver injury in broilers via the modulation of long non-coding RNA expression.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent hepatotoxic and carcinogenic agent. Curcumin possesses potential anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and hepatoprotective effects. However, the role of LncRNAs in the protective mechanisms of curcumin against AFB1-induced liver damage is still elusive. Experimental broilers were randomly divided into 1) control group, 2) AFB1 group (1 mg/kg feed), 3) cur + AFB1 group (1 mg/kg AFB1 plus 300 mg/kg curcumin diet) and 4) curcumin group (300 mg/kg curcumin diet). Liver transcriptome analyses and qPCR were performed to identify shifts in genes expression. In addition, histopathological assessment and oxidant status were determined. Dietary AFB1 caused hepatic morphological injury, significantly increased the production of ROS, decreased liver antioxidant enzymes activities and induced inflammation and apoptosis. However, dietary curcumin partially attenuated the abnormal morphological changes, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in liver tissues. Transcriptional profiling results showed that 34 LncRNAs and 717 mRNAs were differentially expressed with AFB1 and curcumin co-treatment in livers of broilers. Analysis of the LncRNA-mRNA network, GO and KEGG enrichment data suggested that oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis pathway were crucial in curcumin's alleviating AFB1-induced liver damage. In conclusion, curcumin prevented AFB1-induced oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis through LncRNAs. These results provide new insights for unveiling the protective mechanisms of curcumin against AFB1-induced liver damage.