Assessing the Dual Roles of Biosulforaphane: Toxicity and Protective Effects against Aspergillus fumigatus

Background: Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the major pathogenic fungi that produce gliotoxins that acts as the major immuno-suppressive agents which exposes immunocompetent individuals to fatal infection. This study was conducted to look at the toxicity and protective effects of biosulforaphane against invasion of Aspergillus fumigatus in immunocompetent albino Wistar rats. Methods: A. fumigatus strains were isolated from hospital soil samples and characterized macroscopically, microscopically, and molecularly. Gliotoxin was extracted from yeast extract liquid medium, purified, and detected through Thin Layer Chromatographic (TLC) technique. Biosulforaphane extracted from cabbage was administered orally (0.1-1.0 mL/kg) to Wistar rats for 3 days pre-challenge with fungal suspension (108 cells/mL). Protective effects on pathology, body/organ weights, and organ functions were assessed using in vivo technique." Results: The study revealed that Aspergillus fumigatus strain DT0402 (AFDT0), Aspergillus fumigatus strain S10 (AFS10) and Aspergillus fumigatus strain VIBENF3 (AFVIB) isolated from the soil samples were able to produce gliotoxins. The albino Wistar rats that were administered biosulforaphane had significant (p≤0.05) protective effects on the clinical manifestations, body weights, organ weights, and organ functions, and 0.5 mL/kg of biosulforaphane proved to be most safe and protective among the studied rats. Conclusion: Therefore, biosulforaphane had significant protective effects against the isolates (AFDT0402, AFS10 and AFVIB) and their gliotoxins of which 0.5 mL/kg of the compound proved to be most safe and effective.