Food safety organizations indicate the likelihood of constant human and animal exposure to
mycotoxin mixtures as a possible negative public health impact. Risk assessment demonstrates that certain
mycotoxins of Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. are toxic and hold a significant genotoxic efficacy at nanomolar concentrations. The aim of the current study was to investigate the potential cytogenetic effects of
sterigmatocystin (STER),
ochratoxin A (OTA) and
citrinin (
CTN) alone or in combination, at pM to μΜ concentrations, on the human
hepatocellular cancer cell line Hep3B. MTT reduction, mitotic divisions, cell cycle delays and sister chromatid exchange rates (SCE) were determined as endpoints of metabolic activity, cytotoxicity, cytostaticity, and genotoxicity, respectively. All
mycotoxin treatments induce SCE rates from 10-12 M, while their cytotoxic and
cytostatic potential varies. In PRI and MI assays, but not at MTT, STER alone or in combination with OTA +
CTN appeared
cytostatic and cytotoxic, even
at 10-12 M, while
CTN alone and all other combinations displayed substantial cellular survival inhibition in doses ≥ 10-8 M. Co-administration of STER + OTA or STER +
CTN in concentrations ≤ 10-1 M, increased the MI and MTT activity, while it did not affect the PRI.
Mycotoxin co-treatments revealed in general similar-to-additive or antagonistic genotoxic and cytotoxic effects. Our results for the first time describe that STER alone or in combination with OTA and/or
CTN share a cytotoxic and cytogenetic potential even at picoMolar concentrations on human
hepatoma cells in vitro.