Mrs Maryamsadat Mesbahi Bidgoli, Dr Mohammad Fazilati, Dr Anosheh Rahmani, Dr Habibollah Nazem,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (9-2025)
Objective: Ozone treatment has been recognized as an effective approach to significantly reduce mycotoxin levels, including ochratoxin A (OTA), in agricultural products. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of untreated and ozone-treated OTA-contaminated corn (OCC) through a sub-chronic toxicity assessment in rats.
Method: Male rats were randomly assigned into one control group and three experimental diet groups. The experimental groups received untreated OCC or ozone-treated OCC through oral administration for a 30-day period. Clinical signs, survival, hematological parameters, serum biochemical indices, and histopathological alterations of liver and kidney tissues were examined to evaluate potential toxicological effects.
Results: No mortality or overt clinical abnormalities were observed during the experimental period. Rats fed untreated OCC exhibited significant decreases in white blood cell (WBC) counts and marked elevations in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels. Histopathological evaluation revealed OTA-induced lesions in both liver and kidney tissues. In contrast, rats fed ozone-treated OCC showed reduced biochemical alterations and attenuated histopathological damage compared with those receiving untreated OCC.
