The Destructive Effects of Essential Oil and Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants (Apiaceae family) on The Reduction of Zearalenone in Rumen Fluid

BACKGROUND: Zearalenone (ZEA) is a nonsteroidal estrogenic mycotoxin that is usually found in animal feed and causes disorder in genital organs activity. Most commercial adsorbents do not have ZEA absorbency and may have side effects on the animal performance. Therefore, the discovery and introduction of natural compounds are necessary to reduce ZEA. OBJECTIVES: The introduction of some medicinal plants to degrade ZEA in rumen fluid is the main objective of this study. METHODS: In the present study, essential oil and different extracts (methanol, n-hexane and ethyl-acetate) of seed of four medicinal plants belonging to Apiaceae family including coriander (Coriandrum sativum),Cumin (Cuminum cyminum), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and Persian hogweed (Heracleum persicum) were investigated to reduce ZEA in rumen fluid (0.4µg ZEA in ml 20% rumen fluid) at the ratio of essential oil/extract to toxin 125:1, 250:1 and 500:1 in 48h.The ZEA-content was extracted by the immunoaffinity column and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-FLD). RESULTS: The results showed that essential oil of coriander (contains 76.5% of linalool), n-hexane extract of coriander and methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Persian hogweed exhibit acceptable efficiency (more than 30%) in ZEA degradation. ZEA evaluation in the presence of various concentrations of promising essential oils and extracts exhibited that the essential oil of coriander has the highest effect to remove ZEA from rumen fluid with 79.5% after 48 h. The n-hexane extract of coriander at the rate of 500:1 caused 67.8% and 74.2% reduction in ZEA content after 36 and 48 h incubation time respectively and located at the next statistical level. In addition, methanol and ethyl- acetate extracts of Persian hogweed at the rate of 500:1 reduced 46% and 41.8% ZEA content in rumen fluid respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Coriander and Persian hogweed are introduced as promising botanical additive sources to remove ZEA in animal feed.