{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,26]],"date-time":"2026-10-26T10:33:53Z","timestamp":1793010833327,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK-ULAKBIM) - DIGITAL COMMONS JOURNALS","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]],"date-time":"2026-04-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776729600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Turkish Journal of Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/aim: Zearalenone (ZEA) is a Fusarium-derived mycotoxin that frequently contaminates food and feed and induces hepatotoxicity in humans and animals through oxidative stress and inflammation. Pinocembrin (PCM), a naturally occurring flavonoid,\u00a0has potent antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of PCM against ZEAinduced\u00a0liver injury in albino mice, with a focus on the nuclear factor erythroid 2\u2013related factor 2 (NRF2) and phosphoinositide\u00a03-kinase\/protein kinase B (PI3K\/Akt) signaling pathways.\u00a0Materials and methods: Twenty-four albino male mice were allocated into four groups: (1) control (vehicle 0.05% dimethyl sulfoxide),\u00a0(2) ZEA-treated (40 mg\/kg body weight), (3) PCM-treated (50 mg\/kg body weight), and (4) ZEA + PCM. After 42 days of oral treatment,\u00a0serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase levels were determined. Hepatic oxidative stress markers were assessed. Liver histopathology was evaluated using standard staining techniques. Western blot analysis was performed\u00a0to determine the expression of several proinflammatory cytokines signaling proteins: interleukin-6, interleukin-1\u03b2, tumor necrosis factor-\u03b1, NRF2 pathway components, apoptosis-related proteins (B-cell lymphoma 2 [Bcl-2], cleaved caspase-3), and PI3K\/Akt.Results: ZEA administration caused significantly elevated serum liver enzyme and hepatic malondialdehyde levels while causing a reduction in other oxidative stress markers. Histopathological examination revealed marked hepatic architectural disruption and\u00a0cellular degeneration in the ZEA-treated group. Additionally, ZEA caused downregulation of antiapoptotic signaling proteins (such\u00a0as Bcl-2) and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines and cleaved caspase-3 expression. The coadministration of PCM facilitated\u00a0markedly attenuated ZEA-induced biochemical, oxidative, inflammatory, apoptotic, and histopathological alterations. PCM treatment restored antioxidant enzyme activities and produced significant enhancement of NRF2\/HO-1\/NQO1 and PI3K\/Akt signaling.Conclusion: PCM effectively protects against ZEA-induced hepatotoxicity in albino mice by mitigating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. These protective effects are partially mediated through activation of the NRF2 signaling pathway and modulation of the\u00a0PI3K\/Akt pathway.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.55730\/1300-0152.2795","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T11:15:43Z","timestamp":1777374943000},"page":"122-131","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Protective effect of pinocembrin on zearalenone-induced hepatotoxicity via PI3K\/AKT\u00a0and NRF2 signaling in albino mice"],"prefix":"10.55730","volume":"50","author":[{"given":"SUJATHA","family":"TEJAVAT","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"34691","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]]},"container-title":["Turkish Journal of Biology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,26]],"date-time":"2026-10-26T09:52:04Z","timestamp":1793008324000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.tubitak.gov.tr\/biology\/vol50\/iss2\/4"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.55730\/1300-0152.2795","relation":{},"ISSN":["1300-0152"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1300-0152","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]]}}}