R. verniciflua and E. ulmoides Extract (ILF-RE) Protects against Chronic CCl₄-Induced Liver Damage by Enhancing Antioxidation

A comprehensive review of medicinal Toxicodendron (Anacardiaceae): Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Comprising of about 30 species, the genus Toxicodendron (Anacardiaceae) are mainly distributed in East Asia and North America. Among them, 13 species have been traditionally used as folk medicines in Asia and other parts of the world to treat blood diseases, abnormal bleeding, skin diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, liver diseases, bone injury, lung diseases, neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, tonic, cancer, eye diseases, menstrual irregularities, inflammation, rheumatism, diabetes mellitus, rattlesnake bite, internal parasites, contraceptive, vomiting and diarrhea.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To date, no comprehensive review on Toxicodendron has been published and the scientific basis of the traditional medicinal benefits of Toxicodendron have been less reported. Therefore, this review aims to provide a reference for further research and development on medicinal purpose of Toxicodendron by summarizing the works (from 1980 to 2023), and focusing on its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The names of the species were from The Plant List Database (http://www.theplantlist.org), World Flora Online (http://www.worldfloraonline.org), Catalogue of Life Database (https://www.catalogueoflife.org/) and Plants for A Future Database (https://pfaf.org/user/Default.aspx). And the search terms "Toxicodendron" and "the names of 31 species and their synonyms" were used to search for information from electronic databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Baidu Scholar, Springer, and Wiley Online Library. Moreover, PhD and MSc dissertations were also used to support this work.

RESULTS

These species on Toxicodendron are widely used in folkloric medicine and modern pharmacological activities. So far, approximately 238 compounds, mainly phenolic acids and their derivatives, urushiols, flavonoids and terpenoids, are extracted and isolated from Toxicodendron plants, commonly, T. trichocarpum, T. vernicifluum, T. succedaneum, and T. radicans. Among them, phenolic acids and flavonoids are the main compound classes that show pharmacological activities in Toxicodendron plants both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the extracts and single compounds of these species show a wide range of activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, liver protection, fat reduction, nerve protection, and treatment of blood diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Selected species of Toxicodendron have been used as herbal medicines in the Southeast Asian for a long time. Furthermore, some bioactive constituents have been identified from them, so plants in this genus may be potential new drugs. The existing research on Toxicodendron has been reviewed, and the phytochemistry and pharmacology provide theoretical basis for some of the traditional medicinal uses. Therefore, in this review, the traditional medicinal, phytochemical and modern pharmacology of Toxicodendron plants are summarized to help future researchers to find new drug leads or to get a better understanding of structure-activity relationships.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking elucidate potential mechanisms of Eucommia ulmoides in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury

Eucommia ulmoides (EU) and its diverse extracts have demonstrated antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI). However, the primary constituents of EU and their putative mechanisms remain elusive. This study aims to explore the potential mechanisms of EU in the prevention and treatment of HIRI by employing network pharmacology and molecular docking methodologies. The main components and corresponding protein targets of EU were searched in the literature and TCMSP, and the compound target network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.9.1. Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury targets were searched in OMIM and GeneCards databases. The intersection points of compound targets and disease targets were obtained, and the overlapping targets were imported into the STRING database to construct the PPI network. We further analyzed the targets for GO and KEGG enrichment. Finally, molecular docking studies were performed on the core targets and active compounds. The component-target network unveiled a total of 26 efficacious bioactive compounds corresponding to 207 target proteins. Notably, the top-ranking compounds based on degree centrality were quercetin, β-sitosterol, and gallic acid. Within the PPI network, the highest degree centrality encompassed RELA, AKT1, TP53. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis elucidated that EU in HIRI primarily engaged in positive regulation of gene expression, positive transcriptional regulation via RNA polymerase II promoter, negative modulation of apoptotic processes, positive regulation of transcription from DNA templates, and drug responsiveness, among other biological processes. Key pathways included cancer pathways, RAGE signaling pathway, lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis, TNF signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and apoptotic pathways. Molecular docking analysis revealed robust affinities between quercetin, β-sitosterol, gallic acid, and RELA, AKT1, TP53, respectively. This study reveals EU exhibits substantial potential in mitigating and treating HIRI through multifaceted targeting and involvement in intricate signaling pathways.

Application of natural and modified additives in yogurt formulation: types, production, and rheological and nutraceutical benefits

Yogurt, a popular fermented dairy product, is of different types and known for its nutritional and nutraceutical benefits. However, incorporating additives into yogurt has been adopted to improve its functionality and nutraceutical properties. Additives incorporated in yogurt may be natural or modified. The incorporation of diverse natural additives in yogurt formulation, such as moringa, date palm, grape seeds and argel leaf extracts, cornelian cherry paste, mulberry fruit and leaf powder, lentil flour, different types of fibers, lemongrass and spearmint essential oils, and honey, has been reported. Similarly, modified additives, such as β-glucan, pectin, inulin, sodium alginate, and gelatin, are also added to enhance the physicochemical, textural, sensory, and rheological properties of yogurt. Although additives are traditionally added for their technological impact on the yogurt, studies have shown that they influence the nutritional and nutraceutical properties of yogurt, when added. Hence, yogurts enriched with functional additives, especially natural additives, have been reported to possess an improved nutritional quality and impart several health benefits to consumers. These benefits include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, oxidative stress, and hyperglycemia. This current review highlights the common types of yogurt, the production process, and the rheological and nutraceutical benefits of incorporating natural and modified additives into yogurt.

Pleurospermum candollei Methanolic Extract Ameliorates CCl4-Induced Liver Injury by Modulating Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory, and Apoptotic Markers in Rats

The main objective of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective potency of the Pleurospermum candollei methanol extract against CCl₄-induced liver damage in rats. HPLC technique was used to estimate the presence of polyphenols in the methanol extract of P. candollei (PCM), while proximate analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, lipids, and moisture in the extract. The antioxidant potential of PCM was evaluated by 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assay, which showed a high percentage of inhibition against free radicals. Hepatotoxicity was induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). CCl₄ administration reduced the activity of endogenous antioxidants, whereas it increased the production of nitrites and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in rats. Furthermore, the level of hepatic markers in serum was also elevated after CCl₄ administration. Moreover, the expression of stress-related markers, proinflammatory mediators, and apoptotic genes was enhanced in CCl₄-treated rats. Coadministration of PCM along with CCl₄ in rats reduced the levels of free radicals and the above genes to normal levels. CCl₄ administration caused histopathological alterations in liver tissues, while cotreatment with PCM mitigated liver injuries. These findings suggest that the methanol extract of P. candollei possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can prevent liver injury. Further pharmacological research will be helpful in determining the effectiveness of P. candollei in humans. Development of FDA-approved plant-based anti-inflammatory drugs can help treat patients and reduce the chances of toxicity.

Protective effect of acrocarpus fraxinifolius extract against hepatic fibrosis induced by Gamma irradiation and carbon tetrachloride in albino rats

PURPOSE

Liver fibrosis is considered as one of the ultimate outcomes of chronic liver disorders, characterized by outrageous cell proliferation and abnormal deposition of extracellular matrix, resulting in sever pathological distortions in the architecture and performance of liver tissues. The present study aimed to investigate the protective properties of aqueous methanol extract of Acrocarpus fraxinifolius leaves (AFL) against liver fibrosis induced by dual toxicity of γ-irradiation and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) in rats.

METHODS

The animals were exposed to 2 Gy irradiation once/week concurrently with intraperitoneal administration of CCl₄ (0.2 mL/100 g body weight) for seven weeks. Afterwards, liver toxicity and fibrosis were assessed biochemically at cellular and molecular as well as histopathological levels.

RESULTS

The livers of intoxicated rats showed distinct structural and functional changes, compared with the normal rats. The administration of AFL (500 mg/kg, p.o) significantly ameliorated the histopathological manifestations of fibrotic liver evidenced by mitigated steatosis progression, necrosis, fibrotic septa, apoptotic bodies, and immunochistochemical studies of alpha-smooth muscle actin. Also, AFL increased the final body weight, total protein, albumin levels and albumin/globulin ratio. While, the absolute liver weight, liver enzymes, total cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced. A significant modulation was observed in hydroxyproline, transforming growth factor-β and collagen-1expression. Furthermore, AFL exerted a direct effect on liver fibrosis by promoting extracellular matrix degradation via overexpression of the tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1, coupled with decease of metalloproteinase-9 activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested that AFL effectively improved the architecture of fibrotic liver and modified the biochemical markers of liver fibrosis.

IBF-R Regulates IRE1α Post-Translational Modifications and ER Stress in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice

Obesity is a global health issue linked to the heightened risk of several chronic diseases. Rhus verniciflua (RV) is a traditional food supplement used for a range of pharmacological effects such as antitumor, antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibitory effects, hepatitis, and arthritis. Despite the traditional medicinal values, scientific evidence for its application in obesity is inadequate and unclear. Thus, this investigation was designed to evaluate the anti-obesity effects of IBF-R, an RV extract, using a high-fat diet (HFD) model. The study has six groups: chow diet group; chow diet with 80 mg/kg IBF-R; HFD group; IBF-R group with 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg. IBF-R supplementation significantly regulated the weight gain than the HFD fed mice. Further, IBF-R supplementation lowered the expressions of adipogenic transcription factors such as SREBP-1c, C/EBPα, FAS, and PPAR-γ in white adipose tissue (WAT) of diet-induced obese mice. In addition, IBF-R supplementation reduced the lipogenic gene expression while enhancing genes was related to fatty acid oxidation. Obesity is linked to redox-based post-translational modifications (PTMs) of IRE1α such as S-nitrosylation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and chronic metabolic inflammation. The administration of IBF-R inhibits these PTMs. Notably, IBF-R administration significantly enhanced the expression of AMPK and sirtuin 1 in WAT of HFD-fed mice. Together, these findings reveal the IRE1α S-nitrosylation-inflammation axis as a novel mechanism behind the positive implications of IBF-R on obesity. In addition, it lays a firm foundation for the development of Rhus verniciflua extract as a functional ingredient in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Hepatoprotective Effects of Heracleum candicans Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Rats

Purpose:

To determine the hepatoprotective mechanisms of Heracleum candicans in rats with acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄).

Methods:

Rats were intragastrically administered H candicans twice a day for 14 consecutive days and were intraperitoneally challenged with CCl₄. Alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were measured to indicate liver injury. Malondialdehyde antioxidant enzyme activity and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin 6 secretion were measured as liver injury indicators. Histopathological tests were conducted to determine whether H candicans ameliorated liver injury.

Results:

CCl₄-induced liver injury led to significant increases in liver injury biochemical indicators transaminase and malondialdehyde activities. H candicans pretreatments inhibited these increases. Pathological sections in pretreated samples exhibited reduced vacuole formation, neutrophil infiltration, and necrosis.

Conclusion:

H candicans increases the antioxidant capacity of the liver and maintains hepatocyte function in the face of CCl₄-induced injury.

Putative abrogation impacts of Ajwa seeds on oxidative damage, liver dysfunction and associated complications in rats exposed to carbon tetrachloride

BACKGROUND

Industrial toxicants such as Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) are known to disrupt the oxidative-antioxidative balance, which generates excessive amounts of free radicals leading to chronic or acute liver damage. Natural antioxidants, including Ajwa, play an important role in protecting against hepatotoxicity.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study investigated the prophylactic impacts of ajwa seeds aqueous extract (ASE) against hepatic oxidative injury in rats induced by CCl₄. Eighty male Wistar albino rats were equally assigned to eight groups: one group receive no treatment, four groups were received CCl₄-olive oil mixture [1:1(v/v)] (0.2 ml/100 g body weight (bw), intraperitoneally) two times/week for 4 weeks/rat alone or with 200 mg Vit. C/kg bw or 5 ml ASE/rat or both, and three groups received olive oil, Vit. C, or ASE. Vitamin C and ASE were orally administrated two weeks before CCl₄ injection and 4 weeks concomitant with CCl₄. Lipid peroxidation, lipogenesis-related genes, hepatic histopathology, Bax immunostaining and DNA fragmentation were assessed. ASE protected hepatic damage by suppressing oxidative stress and elevating activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase and catalase. ASE also regulated hepatic dyslipidemia, hepatic lipid accumulation and expression of SREBP-1 and FAS genes in CCl₄-treated rats. ASE decreased apoptosis through inhibition of CCl₄ induced Bax activation in hepatocytes.

CONCLUSION

These observations provide evidence for the hepatoprotective potential of ASE via inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis and oxidative stress, suggesting being used as a natural product in attenuating CCl₄ induced oxidative damage, hepatotoxicity and associated dysfunction.

Toxicity of carbon tetrachloride, free radicals and role of antioxidants

Several chemicals, including environmental toxicants and clinically useful drugs, cause severe cellular damage to different organs of our body through metabolic activation to highly reactive substances such as free radicals. Carbon tetrachloride is an organic compound of which chemical formula is CCl₄. CCl₄ is strong toxic in the kidney, testicle, brain, heart, lung, other tissues, and particularly in the liver. CCl₄ is a powerful hepatoxic, nephrotoxic and prooxidant agent which is widely used to induce hepatotoxicity in experimental animals and to create hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis and liver injury, chemical hepatitis model, renal failure model, and nephrotoxicity model in recent years. The damage-causing mechanism of CCl₄ in tissues can be explained as oxidative damage caused by lipid peroxidation which starts after the conversion of CCl₄ to free radicals of highly toxic trichloromethyl radicals (•CCl₃) and trichloromethyl peroxyl radical (•CCl₃O₂) via cytochrome P450 enzyme. Complete disruption of lipids (i.e., peroxidation) is the hallmark of oxidative damage. Free radicals are structures that contain one or more unpaired electrons in atomic or molecular orbitals. These toxic free radicals induce a chain reaction and lipid peroxidation in membrane-like structures rich in phospholipids, such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. CCl₄-induced lipid peroxidation is the cause of oxidative stress, mitochondrial stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress. Free radicals trigger many biological processes, such as apoptosis, necrosis, ferroptosis and autophagy. Recent researches state that the way to reduce or eliminate these CCl₄-induced negative effects is the antioxidants originated from natural sources. For normal physiological function, there must be a balance between free radicals and antioxidants. If this balance is in favor of free radicals, various pathological conditions occur. Free radicals play a role in various pathological conditions including Pulmonary disease, ischemia / reperfusion rheumatological diseases, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, kidney diseases, hypertension, eye diseases, neurological disorders, diabetes and aging. Free radicals are antagonized by antioxidants and quenched. Antioxidants do not only remove free radicals, but they also have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antithrombotic, antiviral, and anti-carcinogenic activities. Antioxidants contain high phenol compounds and antioxidants have relatively low side effects compared to synthetic drugs. The antioxidants investigated in CCI₄ toxicity are usually antioxidants from plants and are promising because of their rich resources and low side effects. Data were investigated using PubMed, EBSCO, Embase, Web of Science, DOAJ, Scopus and Google Scholar, Carbon tetrachloride, carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity, oxidative stress, and free radical keywords. This study aims to enlighten the damage-causing mechanism created by free radicals which are produced by CCl₄ on tissues/cells and to discuss the role of antioxidants in the prevention of tissue/cell damage. In the future, Antioxidants can be used as a therapeutic strategy to strengthen effective treatment against substances with high toxicity such as CCl₄ and increase the antioxidant capacity of cells.

Alpha lipoic acid priming enhances the hepatoprotective effect of adipose derived stem cells in CCl4 induced hepatic injury in-vitro

Mesenchymal stem cells are known to support hepatic defense against liver fibrosis. However, the fibrosis induced oxidative microenvironment affects the proliferative, regenerative, and angiogenic properties of mesenchymal stem cells. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a strong anti-oxidant which has been shown to ameliorate the adverse effects of fibrosis that otherwise can lead to severe liver problems like cirrhosis and liver failure. Here, we studied the protective role of ALA primed adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄₎ induced hepatotoxicity in primary hepatocytes in-vitro. Priming of ADSCs helped to abrogate the damaging effects of fibrosis induced oxidative stress as evidenced by significantly reduced levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALAT) along with decreased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and improved superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. ALA and ADSCs synergistically down-regulated the expression of Bax gene, an apoptosis regulator while enhancing cell proliferation by up-regulating the expression of Bcl2l1 gene. This treatment improved the expression of albumin (Alb), cytokeratin-8 (Ck8), and hepatic nuclear factor alpha (Hnf4α). Cytochrome P450 2E1 (Cyp2e1) and Alpha fetoprotein (Afp) were down-regulated to lessen the damage caused by CCl₄ treatment. Furthermore, paracrine release of several growth factors like hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), and insulin growth factor (IGF) reinforced the improved response of primary hepatocytes against CCl₄ induced hepatotoxicity in the presence of ALA primed ADSCs. This study suggests that ALA priming may improve the therapeutic potential of ADSCs against chronic liver problems by activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream antioxidant factors heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and quinone acceptor oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1).

Hypotensive and Hepatoprotective Properties of the Polysaccharide-Stabilized Foaming Composition Containing Hydrolysate of Whey Proteins

Whey protein hydrolysates (WPHs) are one of the most promising sources of biofunctional peptides with such beneficial properties as antioxidant, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory and others. WPHs also could be used as foaming agents for aerated products (e.g., milk shake type drinks). However, WPH alone has a bitter taste and foamed WPH should be stabilized by additional ingredients. Here, we present a composition including WPH and three polysaccharides-pumpkin pectin, sodium alginate and ι-carrageenan-used as foam stabilizers. Polysaccharide content was selected according to foaming, organoleptic antioxidant and angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory characteristics of the resulted composition. Further, the hypotensive, antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of the composition were proved by in vivo tests performed in spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar rats with CCl₄-induced hepatic injury.

Vitamin E pretreated Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells attenuate CCl4-induced hepatocyte injury in vitro and liver fibrosis in vivo

Oxidative microenvironment in fibrotic liver alleviates the efficacious outcome of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based cell therapy. Recent evidence suggests that pharmacological pretreatment is a rational approach to harness the MSCs with higher therapeutic potential. Here, we investigated whether Vitamin E pretreatment can boost the antifibrotic effects of Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (WJMSCs). We used rat liver-derived hepatocytes injured by CCl₄ treatment in co-culture system with Vitamin E pretreated-WJMSCs (Vit E-WJMSCs) to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Vit E-WJMSCs. After 24 h of co-culturing, we found that Vit E-WJMSCs rescued injured hepatocytes as hepatocyte injury-associated medium (AST, ALT, and ALP) and mRNA (Cyp2e1, Hif1-α, and Il-1β) markers reduced to normal levels. Subsequently, CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis rat models were employed to examine the antifibrotic potential of Vit E-WJMSCs. After 1 month of cell transplantation, it was revealed that Vit E-WJMSCs transplantation ceased fibrotic progression, as evident by improved hepatic architecture and functions, more significantly in comparison to naïve WJMSCs. In addition, Vit E-WJMSCs transplantation decreased the expressions of fibrosis-associated gene (Tgf-β1, α-Sma, and Col1α1) markers in the liver parenchyma. Intriguingly, the results of tracing experiments discovered that more WJMSCs engrafted in the Vit E-WJMSCs treated rat livers compared to naïve WJMSCs treated livers. These findings implicate that pretreatment of WJMSCs with Vitamin E improves their tolerance to hostile niche of fibrotic liver; thereby further enhancing their efficacy for hepatic fibrosis.

Simultaneous quantification of six flavonoids of Rhus verniciflua Stokes using matrix solid-phase dispersion via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector

A simple and efficient matrix solid-phase dispersion via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector was developed to analyze the following flavonoids of Rhus verniciflua Stokes: fisetin, fustin, butein, sulfuretin, garbanzol, and quercetin. The optimum conditions for the procedure was the use of Zeolite Socony Mobil-twenty-two molecular sieves as the adsorbent, sample:adsorbent ratio of 2:5, grinding for 3 min, and use of 8 mL of 70% methanol:water as the elution solvent. The method was validated for linearity, precision, reproducibility, limit of detection, and limit of quantification. The method exhibited excellent linearity for all six flavonoids. The intra- and interday precisions over a range of concentrations were below 3.0% and limits of quantification for the six flavonoids were 0.16 and 0.50 μg/mL. Compared with other published methods, the proposed method was more effective, rapid, and required less reagents. Therefore, the combination of matrix solid-phase dispersion and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector showed excellent reproducibility and simplicity and could be suitable for the extraction and quantification of multiple flavonoids in R. verniciflua Stokes samples.

Protective Effect of Spore Powder of Antrodia camphorata ATCC 200183 on CCl4-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Mice

Liver fibrosis is a pathological process with intrahepatic diffused deposition of the excess extracellular matrix, which leads to various chronic liver diseases. Drugs with high efficacy and low toxicity for liver fibrosis are still unavailable. Antrodia camphorata has antioxidant, antivirus, antitumor and anti-inflammation roles, and has been used to treat liver diseases in the population. However, the hepatoprotective effects of A. camphorata spores and the mechanisms behind it have not been investigated. In this study, we evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of spore powder of A. camphorata (SP, 100 mg/kg/day or 200 mg/kg/day) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver fibrosis in mice. SP groups reduced serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities compared with the CCl₄ group. SP also showed a decrease in hydroxyproline (Hyp) content in liver tissues. SP improved cell damage and reduced collagen deposition by H&E, Sirius red and Masson staining. Furthermore, SP down-regulated the mRNA levels of α-SMA and Col 1, and the protein expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I (Col 1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-Κb (NF-κB) p65. In summary, SP has an ameliorative effect on hepatic fibrosis, probably by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells, reducing the synthesis of extracellular matrix.

Citrus Peel Extract Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced NAFLD via Activation of AMPK Signaling

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is prevalent in the elderly population, and has symptoms ranging from liver steatosis to advanced fibrosis. Citrus peel extracts (CPEs) contain compounds that potentially improve dyslipidemia; however, the mechanism of action and effects on hepatic steatosis regulation remains unclear. Current study was aimed to investigate the protective effect of CPEs extracted through hot-air drying (CPEW) and freeze-drying (CPEF) and the underlying mechanism in a rat model of high-fat diet-induced NAFLD. The high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats showed significant increase in total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lipid peroxidation compared to the normal chow-diet (NCD) group rats; but CPEW and CPEF limited this effect. CPEW and CPEF supplementation reduced both hepatocyte steatosis and fat accumulation involving the regulatory effect of mTORC1. Collectively, CPEW and CPEF protected deterioration of liver steatosis with AMPK activation and regulating ROS accumulation associated with interstitial disorders, which are also associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) redox. Thus, the application of CPEW and CPEF may lead to the development of novel therapeutic or preventive agents against NAFLD.