The mycotoxin zearalenone enhances cell proliferation, colony formation and promotes cell migration in the human colon carcinoma cell line HCT116

•Zearalenone (ZEN), at low concentrations, enhances cell proliferation of colon carcinoma cell line HCT116.•ZEN increases colony formation in HCT116 cell line.•ZEN fastens cell migration after wound healing and the highest effect of ZEN was observed at a concentration 10 times lower as compared to AFB1.•ZEN exhibits carcinogenesis-like properties in HCT116 cells.

Zearalenone (ZEN) and Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are fungal secondary metabolites produced by Fusarium and Aspergillus genera, respectively. These mycotoxins are found world-wide as corn and wheat contaminants. AFB1 is probably the most toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin. It has been demonstrated to be mutagenic, genotoxic, and hepatocarcinogenic. ZEN is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin that displays hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity and genotoxicity. Its mutagenic and carcinogenic properties have so far remained controversial and questionable. Using the colon carcinoma cell line HCT116, we will show here that ZEN, at low concentrations, enhances cell proliferation, increases colony formation and fastens cell migration after wound healing. The highest effect of ZEN was observed at a concentration 10 times lower as compared to AFB1. Our findings suggest thus that this mycotoxin exhibits carcinogenesis-like properties in HCT116 cells.