Selenium-enriched autolyzed yeast as a potential therapeutic intervention for mitigating zearalenone-induced oxidative stress and enhancing immune system function

Zearalenone (ZEN), a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species, poses significant health risks due to its estrogenic, hepatotoxic, immunotoxic, and oxidative stress-inducing effects. Selenium-enriched autolyzed yeast (Se-Y) provides a bioavailable organic selenium source combined with yeast-derived bioactive compounds that may alleviate mycotoxin-induced toxicity. This study evaluated the protective effects of Se-Y supplementation in mice exposed to dietary ZEN (10 mg/kg feed) for 28 days. Forty male Balb/c mice were randomly assigned to four groups: control, ZEN-only, ZEN + 0.25 mg Se/kg feed, and ZEN + 0.5 mg Se/kg feed. ZEN exposure significantly reduced average daily weight gain (69.1 vs. 51.7 mg/day) and feed intake (5.1 vs. 2.5 g/day), while significantly increasing serum AST (211 vs. 123 IU/L), ALT (137 vs. 92 IU/L), and ALP (205 vs. 156 IU/L) compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Oxidative stress was evident through reduced antioxidant enzyme activities and altered expression of antioxidant- and inflammation-related genes. Intestinal morphology was also adversely affected, as demonstrated by decreased villus height and increased crypt depth. Supplementation with Se-Y, particularly at 0.5 mg Se/kg feed, significantly improved growth performance, restored antioxidant status, reduced inflammatory gene expression, and improved intestinal morphometry compared with the ZEN-only group (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that selenium-enriched autolyzed yeast may alleviate ZEN-induced oxidative and inflammatory damage through antioxidant and immunomodulatory mechanisms. Nevertheless, further studies involving detailed selenium characterization, toxicokinetic analyses, and long-term exposure models are required before practical application in food and feed systems can be fully established.