Red paprika ( Capsicum annuum L.) and its main carotenoid capsanthin ameliorate impaired lipid metabolism in the liver and adipose tissue of high-fat diet-induced obese mice

Optimization of accelerated solvent extraction of zeaxanthin from orange paprika using response surface methodology and an artificial neural network coupled with a genetic algorithm

This study aimed to optimize the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) condition of zeaxanthin from orange paprika using a response surface methodology (RSM) or an artificial neural network (ANN) with a genetic algorithm (GA). Input variables were ethanol concentration, extraction time, and extraction temperature, while output variable was zeaxanthin. The mean squared error and regression correlation coefficient of the developed ANN model were 0.3038 and 0.9983, respectively. Predicted optimal extraction conditions from ANN-GA for maximum zeaxanthin were 100% ethanol, 3.4 min, and 99.2 °C. The relative errors under the optimal extraction conditions were RSM for 10.46% and ANN-GA for 2.18%. We showed that the recovery of hydrophobic zeaxanthin could be performed using ethanol, an eco-friendly solvent, via ASE, and the extraction efficiency could be improved by ANN-GA modeling than RSM. Therefore, combining ASE and ANN-GA might be desirable for the efficient and eco-friendly extraction of hydrophobic functional materials from food resources.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01514-8.

Dietary supplementation with short- and long-chain structured lipids alleviates obesity via regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, inflammation and gut microbiota in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice

BACKGROUND

Obesity is closely associated with lipid accumulation, inflammation and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. Short- and long-chain type structured lipids (SLCTs) are kinds of low-calorie structured lipids and demonstrate anti-obesity and hypolipidemia bioactivity. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential effects of dietary supplementation of SLCTs rich in short-chain fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids on high-fat-diet-induced obesity and gut microbiota modulation in C57BL/6J mice.

RESULTS

Results showed that SLCTs supplementation ameliorated body weight, dyslipidemia, liver lipid accumulation, liver injury and systemic inflammation in obese mice. As expected, immunohistochemical analysis showed that SLCTs significantly increased the expression of proliferator-activated receptor alpha and decreased the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 in liver tissue. Furthermore, SLCTs supplementation significantly downregulated the expression level of liver inflammation-related genes while upregulating the expression level of liver lipid metabolism-related genes. Additionally, SLCTs supplementation markedly enhanced the diversity of gut microbiota, reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and increased the diversity and richness of beneficial intestinal microorganisms, such as Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, Alloprevotella and Ruminococcaceae UCG-014.

CONCLUSION

Our work suggested that SLCTs may have the potential to reduce obesity associated with a high-fat diet by regulating liver metabolism, inflammation and gut microbiota. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Differences in the Chromogenic Effect of Corn Starch and Potato Starch on Paprika Red Pigment and Structural Characterisation

The present study aims to investigate the chromogenic effect and the interaction between starch-pigment complexes of corn starch (CS) and potato starch (PS) complexed with paprika red pigment. Compared to PS, CS showed 12.5 times higher adsorption capacity for paprika red pigment. Additionally, the a* value of CS-P (26.90 ± 0.23) was significantly higher than that of PS-P (22.45 ± 1.84), resulting in a corn starch-paprika red pigment complex (CS-P) with a more intense red colour. The addition of paprika red pigment significantly decreased the particle size and porosity of CS by 48.14 ± 5.29% and 17.01 ± 3.80%, respectively. Conversely, no significant impact on PS was observed. Additionally, the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy results revealed that the starch molecules and paprika red pigment were bound to each other through strong hydrogen bonds. X-diffraction (XRD) results indicated that the starch-paprika red pigment complexes have a V-shaped structure. Furthermore, the relative crystallinity of the complexes between starch and red pepper pigment showed an increasing trend, however, the relative crystallinity of CS increased significantly by 11.77 ± 0.99-49.21 ± 3.67%. Consequently, the CS-P colouring was good.

Quantum mechanical assessment on the optical properties of capsanthin conformers

As optical properties, the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra of capsanthin-based red natural dye are a decisive parameter for their usage in various applications. Thus, accurately predicting the maximum UV-Vis wavelength (λ max ) values is critical in designing dye-conjugated material. Extensive metadynamics simulations were carried out to generate capsanthin conformers at various levels of the extended tight-binding method. Benchmarking the time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT) methods help understand the results of a particular functional and allows a comparison between results obtained with different functional. The long-range correction (LC) scheme in LC-TD-DFT-D4/ωB97X/def2-SVP has been found to reproduce the experimentalλ max , and exhibited the effect of conformational changes to the calculated wavelengths. On the other hand, an inexpensive yet efficient LC-TD-DFTB method reproduced the experimentalλ max insensitive to conformational changes.

Stabilization of capsanthin in physically-connected hydrogels: Rheology property, self-recovering performance and syringe/screw-3D printing

This work presented a facile way of stabilizing capsanthin by physically-connected soft hydrogels via utilizing specially-structured polysaccharides, and investigated rheological properties, self-recovering mechanism and 3D printability. The functionalized hydrogels demonstrated excellent color quality including redness, yellowness index and hue with great storage stability and visual perception. The soft hydrogels fabricated with properly sequenced polyglyceryl fatty acid esters, β-cyclodextrin, chitosan, and low-content capsanthin possessed outstanding extrudability, appropriate yield stress, reasonable mechanical strength, rational elasticity and structure sustainability. Furthermore, the self-recovering properties based on hydrogen bonds, host-guest interactions and electrostatic interactions were revealed and verified by structural, zeta potential, micro-morphological, zeta potential, thixotropic, creep-recovery, and macroscopic/microscopic characterizations. Along with excellent antioxidant performance, the subsequent 3D printing onto bread with complex models elucidated the high geometry accuracy and great sensory characters. The sequenced physically-connected hydrogels incorporated with capsanthin can provide new insights on stabilizing hydrophobic biomaterials and developing the 3D printed exquisite, innovative food.

Carotenoids and Fatty Acids Obtained from Paprika Capsicum annuum by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Ethanol as Co-Extractant

Paprika Capsicum annuum L. contains useful molecules such as carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are considered high-value functional and health ingredients. To obtain these compounds, paprika was extracted using different methods (Soxhlet, SC-CO_2, and SC-CO₂ with co-extractant) and at different parameters. The results showed that the carotenoid content decreased with the addition of the co-extractant while the fatty acid content and yield increased. It was found that the highest carotenoid content (capsanthin > β-carotene > capsorubin > zeaxanthin > β-cryptoxanthin > violaxanthin) was obtained at 50 °C/45 MPa for SC-CO₂ extraction. Paprika extract rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic, oleic, and α-linolenic acid) was obtained at 40 °C/25 MPa for SC-CO₂ with co-extractant. The PUFA/SFA ratios for paprika extract were in agreement with the recommendations of nutritional guidelines. The use of SC-CO₂ for the extraction of Capsicum annuum allowed us to obtain a high-quality, rich in carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, extract that can be used as a substrate in the industry.

Efficacy of Carotenoid-Loaded Gelatin Nanoparticles in Reducing Plasma Cytokines and Adipocyte Hypertrophy in Wistar Rats

The present study investigated the effect of gelatin-based nanoparticles (EPG) loaded with a carotenoid-rich crude extract (CE) on systemic and adipose tissue inflammatory response in a model with inflammation induced by a high glycemic index and high glycemic load diet (HGLI). Nanoparticles synthesized were characterized by different physical and chemical methods. The in vivo investigation evaluated Wistar rats (n = 20, 11 days, adult male with 21 weeks) subdivided into untreated (HGLI diet), conventional treatment (nutritionally adequate diet), treatment 1 (HGLI + crude extract (12.5 mg/kg)), and treatment 2 (HGLI + EPG (50 mg/kg)) groups. Dietary intake, caloric intake and efficiency, weight, inflammatory cytokines tissue concentration, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) weight, histopathological analysis, and antioxidant activity in plasma and VAT were investigated. EPG showed the same physical and chemical characteristics as previous batches (95.2 nm, smooth surface, and chemical interactions between materials). The EPG-treated group was the only group promoting negative ∆dietary intake, ∆caloric efficiency, and ∆weight. In addition, it presented a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in IL-6 and leptin levels and a greater presence of multilocular adipocytes. The results suggest that EPG can act as a nutraceutical in adjuvant therapy for treating inflammatory diseases associated with adipose tissue accumulation.

Preparation and Characterization of the Composition of Volatile Compounds, Fatty Acids and Thermal Behavior of Paprika

This study aimed to investigate the thermal behavior and composition of volatile compounds, fatty acids and polyphenols in paprika obtained from peppers of different countries. The thermal analysis revealed various transformations in the paprika composition, namely drying, water loss and decomposition of volatile compounds, fatty acids, amino acids, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The main fatty acids found in all paprika oils were linoleic (20.3-64.8%), palmitic (10.6-16.0%) and oleic acid (10.4-18.1%). A notable amount of omega-3 was found in spicy paprika powder varieties. The volatile compounds were classified into six odor classes (citrus (29%), woody (28%), green (18%), fruity (11%), gasoline (10%) and floral (4%)). The total polyphenol content ranged between 5.11 and 10.9 g GA/kg.

The Vacuum and Light-Avoided Packaging Ameliorate the Decline in Quality of Whole Chili during Storage

Vacuum packaging is a superior procedure that could maintain the quality of dried red peppers for a relatively longer period, while the effect of light avoidance was inconsistent. Therefore, this study was to evaluate the effect of vacuum in combination with light avoidance on the storage quality of peppers and to investigate vacuum packaging and vacuum and light-avoided packaging influence the quality characteristics of dried chili peppers during storage. The results indicated that the quality characteristics of peppers gradually deteriorated: redness, extractable color, capsanthin, capsaicinoids, pungency, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity decreased, whereas moisture, water activity, and browning index increased as storage progressed. Vacuum packaging inhibited these changes compared with the control. Vacuum and light-avoided packaging further decelerated the quality loss of dried peppers, with the minimum changes in color, pungency, and antioxidant capacity of dried peppers during storage, and these could be due to lower water activity by light avoidance. Therefore, light avoidance may be necessary to further delay the deterioration of dried peppers under vacuum, and vacuum and light-avoided packaging could better retain the quality of dried chili peppers.

Pilot-Scale Optimization of Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Dry Paprika Capsicum annuum: Influence of Operational Conditions and Storage on Extract Composition

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction was used to extract carotenoids from dry paprika Capsicum annuum. Studies regarding the effect of process parameters, including pressure (25–45 MPa), temperature (40–60 °C), and time (10–110 min), were carried out using response surface methodology. It was found that under optimal conditions (pressure of 45 MPa, temperature of 50 °C, and time of 74 min), the extract yield was 10.05%, and the total content of carotenoids in the extract was 4.21%, in good agreement with the predicted values (10.24% and 4.24%, respectively). Composition analysis showed that paprika extract mainly consisted of linoleic acid. There was no significant difference between the fatty acid content of the extracts obtained by SC-CO₂ extraction and n-hexane Soxhlet extraction. For functional purposes, the effect of storage conditions and time on the quality of paprika extract was also specified.

Nitrite Stress Induces Oxidative Stress and Leads to Muscle Quality Decreased in Wuchang Bream (Megalobrama amblycephala Yih) Juveniles

To determine the effects of nitrite exposure on muscle quality and physiological functions in Wuchang bream (Megalobrama amblycephala), we exposed M. amblycephala juveniles to acute nitrite (0, 1, 5, 10, 20 mg/L), and the muscle and blood samples were measured at 12, 24, 48, and 96 h. The results showed that when exposed to nitrite for 12 h, the concentrations of blood glucose, cortisol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the 20 mg/L experimental group had the maximum value. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) increased significantly in a dose-dependently manner and peaked at 96 h in the 20 mg/L group. During 96 h of exposure to nitrite, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and catalase (CAT) activity in the liver of the 20 mg/L experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group, while the concentration of muscle glycogen showed a downtrend. At 12 h and 96 h, the hardness of the four experimental groups were significantly higher than that of the control group. Our research shows that acute sodium nitrite exposure will not only cause oxidative stress and decreased muscle quality in M. amblycephala juveniles but also will be accompanied by changes in serum biochemical index, liver antioxidant capacity, muscle physiological characteristics, and muscle physical characteristics. Preliminary speculation may be that acute nitrite exposure may cause M. amblycephala juveniles to choose to reduce muscle quality and activate antioxidant systems.

Cardioprotective effects of phytopigments via multiple signaling pathways

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the deadliest non-communicable diseases, and millions of dollars are spent every year to combat CVDs. Unfortunately, the multifactorial etiology of CVDs complicates the development of efficient therapeutics. Interestingly, phytopigments show significant pleiotropic cardioprotective effects both in vitro and in vivo.

PURPOSE

This review gives an overview of the cardioprotective effects of phytopigments based on in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials.

METHODS

A literature-based survey was performed to collect the available data on cardioprotective activities of phytopigments via electronic search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus.

RESULTS

Different classes of phytopigments such as carotenoids, xanthophylls, flavonoids, anthocyanins, anthraquinones alleviate major CVDs (e.g., cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, hypertension, cardiotoxicities) via acting on signaling pathways related to AMPK, NF-κB, NRF2, PPARs, AKT, TLRs, MAPK, JAK/STAT, NLRP3, TNF-α, and RA.

CONCLUSION

Phytopigments represent promising candidates to develop novel and effective CVD therapeutics. More randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies are recommended to establish the clinical efficacy of phytopigments.

Front-face synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy for rapid and non-destructive determination of free capsanthin, the predominant carotenoid in chili (Capsicum annuum L.) powders based on aggregation-induced emission

Capsanthin is the major natural carotenoid pigment in red chili pepper possessing important bioactivity. Its conventional determination method is high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with complex and tedious sample pretreatment. In this study, synchronous front-face fluorescence spectroscopy (FFFS) was applied for the fast and non-invasive detection of free capsanthin in chili powders. Although capsanthin was only weak fluorescent in solution state, it showed strong fluorescence in two separated regions in front-face geometry which could also be clearly observed in chili powders. The mechanisms of these emissions are revealed to be aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and J-aggregate formation (JAF). The free capsanthin in 85 chili powder samples were determined by HPLC as in the range of 0.6-3.0 mg/g. The total synchronous FFFS spectra of these samples were scanned. Simple first-order models were built by partial least square regression (PLSR), and were validated by 5-fold cross-validation and external validation. The coefficients of determination (R²) were higher than 0.9, and the root mean square errors (RMSE) were less than 0.2 mg/g. The relative error of prediction (REP) was 9.9%, and the residual predictive deviation (RPD) was 3.7. The method was applied for the estimation of free capsanthin in several real-world samples with satisfactory analytical results. The average relative error to HPLC reference values was -11.8%.

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyx extract prevents the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and obesity-related insulin resistance in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is reported to be beneficial in treating obesity which can develop into a range of metabolic disorders. The molecular mechanisms by which roselle extract works to prevent obesity-related insulin resistance remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that the roselle extract can decrease lipid accumulation and improve insulin resistance by downregulating adipogenesis. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effect of roselle extract on the mechanism of adipogenesis and prevent complications of the obesity-related insulin resistance in high-fat diet-induced obese rats for 8 weeks. Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: control (C), high-fat diet (HFD), high-fat diet supplemented with 250 mg/kg BW of roselle (R250), and high-fat diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg BW of roselle (R500). The results demonstrated that roselle had the potential to reduce body weight, food intake, lipid profiles, inflammatory cytokines, lipid peroxidation, serum leptin, insulin and duodenal glucose absorption, while significantly increased glucose uptake of adipose tissue and muscle when compared to the HFD group. Roselle can prevent lipid accumulation by suppressing differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocyte by downregulating the adipogenic gene expression. The results of this study demonstrated that the molecular mechanism underlying the protective effect of roselle, could be an alternative approach for obesity-related insulin resistance prevention.

Astilbin lowers the effective caffeine dose for decreasing lipid accumulation via activating AMPK in high-fat diet-induced obese mice

BACKGROUND

Caffeine has an anti-obesity effect, although chronic excessive caffeine consumption also causes caffeinism, which is marked by increased anxiety or depression, amongst other symptoms. The present study aimed to investigate whether the addition of flavonoids such as astilbin can reduce the caffeine dose needed to inhibit obesity.

RESULTS

ICR mice (n = 80) were fed with normal diet, high-fat diet (HFD), HFD supplemented with astilbin, caffeine, or astilbin + caffeine for 12 weeks. When diets supplemented with astilbin, 0.3 g kg^-1 diet caffeine had the same effect as 0.6 g kg^-1 diet caffeine alone, and 0.6 g kg^-1 diet caffeine combined with astilbin most effectively inhibited HFD-induced obesity. Astilbin improved the anti-obesity effects of caffeine on lipid accumulation via the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα). (i) Activated AMPKα decreased lipid biosynthesis by suppressing the activity or mRNA expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c and its target gene fatty acid synthase. (ii) Activated AMPKα also up-regulated lipolysis by enhancing the expression of adipose triglyceride lipase and increasing the phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase. (iii) Finally, activated AMPKα increased carnitine acyltransferase and acyl-CoA oxidase activities, which further promoted fatty acid β-oxidation.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in the present study indicate that astilbin may decrease the effective dose of caffeine needed for an anti-obesity effect and also suggest that it suppresses fat accumulation via the activation of AMPK. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chili Pepper Carotenoids: Nutraceutical Properties and Mechanisms of Action

Chili pepper is a prominent cultivated horticultural crop that is traditionally used for food seasoning and is applied for the treatment and prevention of multiple diseases. Its beneficial health properties are due to its abundance and variety of bioactive components, such as carotenoids, capsaicinoids, and vitamins. In particular, carotenoids have important nutraceutical properties, and several studies have focused on their potential in the prevention and treatment of human diseases. In this article, we reviewed the state of knowledge of general aspects of chili pepper carotenoids (biosynthesis pathway, types and content in Capsicum spp., and the effects of processing on carotenoid content) and recent findings on the effects of carotenoid nutraceuticals, such as antioxidant, cancer preventive, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular disorder preventive, and anti-obesity effects.

Consumption of Spinach and Tomato Modifies Lipid Metabolism, Reducing Hepatic Steatosis in Rats

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently a serious and growing clinical problem in developed and developing countries and is considered one of the most frequent chronic liver diseases in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functionality of dietary carotenoids provided by tomato and spinach in the dietary treatment of steatosis. Twenty-two Sprague-Dawley rats with induced steatosis were grouped into three groups and fed standard diet (CD group) and two experimental diets supplemented with 12.75% (LC12.75 group) and 25.5% (HC25.5 group) of a mixture of spinach and tomato powder. Rats fed carotenoid-rich feeds showed an improvement in the plasma biomarkers of steatosis, with lower levels of glucose, total cholesterol, VLDL, TG, proteins, ALT and AST. Likewise, a decrease in oxidative stress was observed, with a significant reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma (up to 54%), liver (up to 51.42%) and urine (up to 78.89%) (p < 0.05) and an increase in plasma antioxidant capacity (ORAC) (up to 73.41%) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, carotenoid-rich diets led to an accumulation of carotenoids in the liver and were inversely correlated with the content of total cholesterol and hepatic triglycerides, increasing the concentrations of MUFA and PUFA (up to 32.6% and 48%, respectively) (p < 0.05). The accumulation of carotenoids in the liver caused the modulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism, and we particularly observed an overexpression of ACOX1, APOA1 and NRIH2 (LXR) and the synthesis of the proteins. This study suggests that dietary carotenoids from spinach and tomato aid in the dietary management of steatosis by reversing steatosis biomarkers.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids from microalgae Spirulina platensis modulates lipid metabolism disorders and gut microbiota in high-fat diet rats

Effects of Spirulina platensis 55% ethanol extract (SPL55) on lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidaemic rats were investigated. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry indicated that SPL55 was enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids. Meanwhile, serum and liver lipid levels, including total triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, were significantly decreased in hyperlipidaemic rats of SPL55. Analysis of tissue sections showed that SPL55 treatment could markedly inhibit hepatic lipid accumulation and steatosis. Moreover, SPL55 regulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of SREBP-1c, HMG-CoA, PEPCK, ACC, and AMPK genes involved in lipid metabolism. Furthermore, SPL55 led to decrease the abundances of Turicibacter, Clostridium_XlVa, and Romboutsia, which were positive correlation with lipid metabolism indicators, and has also enriched Alloprevotella, Prevotella, Porphyromonadaceae, and Barnesiella. These results provided evidence that SPL55 might be developed as a functional food to ameliorate lipid metabolic disorders and hyperlipidaemia.

Regulatory Efficacy of the Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids from Microalgae Spirulina platensis on Lipid Metabolism and Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet Rats

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photo-diode array detector and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry was employed to analyze the major fatty acids in Spirulina platensis 95% ethanol extract (SPL95). The effects of SPL95 on hepatoprotection were evaluated, including liver tissue histopathology, liver, and serum biochemical analysis. The active principle of SPL95 revealed a hypolipidemic effect, as indicated by down-regulating the mRNA and protein levels of sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1c, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase, acetyl CoA carboxylase pathway, and upregulating adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase-α in liver. SPL95 enriched the beneficial bacteria, including Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Porphyromonadaceae, Barnesiella, and Paraprevotella. Treatment with SPL95 led to a decrease in microbes, such as Turicibacter, Romboutsia, Phascolarctobacterium, Olsenella, and Clostridium XVIII, which were positively correlated with serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels, but negatively correlated with the serum high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels. These results provide evidence that the fatty acid from SPL95 may be used as a novel adjuvant therapy and functional food to regulate gut microbiota in obese and diabetic individuals.

Polyphenol-enriched extract of Rosa rugosa Thunb regulates lipid metabolism in diabetic rats by activation of AMPK pathway

This study was designed to investigate the mechanism of polyphenol-enriched extract of Rosa rugosa Thunb (RPE) in the control of dyslipidemia in diabetic rats. RPE was tested at three dosages (37.5 mg/kg, 75 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg) in the rat dyslipidemia model established with high fat diet feeding in combination with STZ injection (30 mg/kg). The RPE effect was evaluated after 4 weeks of treatment. In the RPE-treated rats, hepatic total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were significantly reduced, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and liver lipase (HL) were significantly increased. The levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were decreased in the serum. Those effects of RPE were observed primarily at the mediate and high dosages. Expression of FGF21 was increased in the liver tissue and hepatic cell line 1c1c7 by RPE. The signals of p-AMPK, p-ACC, ACC, p-SIRT, and PGC-1α were significantly induced in the liver by RPE. The results suggest that RPE may improve hepatic steatosis and liver function by induction of AMPK signaling activity in the control of dyslipidemia.