Apple pomace improves liver and adipose inflammatory and antioxidant status in young female rats consuming a Western diet

Abstract

Abstract Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is diet-driven and characterized by inflammation and alterations in liver-adipose fatty acid transport. Diet modification is the main treatment for NASH, with high antioxidant diets suggested. Apple pomace, an antioxidant-rich apple processing “waste” byproduct, has potential as a functional food in alleviating NASH. To investigate apple pomace and NASH, growing female Sprague-Dawley rats consumed one of four diets for 8 weeks: AIN-93G, AIN-93G/10% g/kg caloric substitution with apple pomace (AIN/AP), Western diet, or Western/10% apple pomace (Western/AP). Apple pomace substitution decreased Western-diet induced hepatic histological evidence of inflammation and positively influenced liver and adipose tissue saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid content. Further, rats consuming Western/AP had downregulated hepatic and adipose proinflammatory cytokine gene expression and improved antioxidant status compared to rats consuming a Western diet. Based on the results, apple pomace attenuated features of Western diet-induced NASH and supports apple pomace use as a sustainable functional food.