Abstract
Simple SummaryExcessive fat deposition (5–10%) in the liver could lead to liver damage and nonalcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, there is no satisfactory safe and effective measure of preventive and therapeutic treatments so far. Thus, the prevention of excessive fat deposition through diet modification might be a better strategy to protect humans from metabolic diseases. Due to the anatomical and physiological similarities between humans and pigs, the present study took the finishing pig as an animal model to investigate the effects of apple polyphenols on hepatic fat deposition and antioxidant capacity and their mechanisms. The present study indicated that apple polyphenols might be an effective dietary supplementation for decreasing the excessive fat deposition in liver tissue, improving lipid profiles and increasing the antioxidant capacity of finishing pigs. This study provides a better preventive strategy to protect humans from excessive fat deposition in the liver.Excessive fat deposition in the liver could lead to fatty liver and an increased risk of many metabolic diseases. Apple polyphenols (APPs), the major antioxidants in apples, possess wide-ranging beneficial biological functions. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of APPs on hepatic fat deposition and antioxidant capacity in finishing pigs, and their mechanisms. Results showed that APPs improved lipid profiles, increased antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced the fat deposition in the liver. In the liver, SOD1, CAT, GPX1, GST, NF-E2-related nuclear factor 2 (Nrf2), hormone sensitive lipase (HSL), carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1b (CPT1b), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) mRNA levels were increased by APPs, while Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) mRNA level, C16:0 and C20:4n-6 proportions and Δ9-18 dehydrogenase activity were decreased. In conclusion, this study indicated that APPs might be an effective dietary supplementation for improving lipid profiles, increasing antioxidant capacities and decreasing fat deposition in the liver.
Highlights
Excessive fat deposition (5–10%) in the liver can lead to liver damage and nonalcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) [1,2]
We showed that dietary Apple polyphenols (APPs) supplementation had no significant effect on ACC and FAS mRNA levels in liver tissue, which was inconsistent with the previous study, suggesting that the fat-lowering effect of APPs might not be mediated by hepatic lipogenesis
Consistent with previous research in rodents [12,18], our present study indicates that apple polyphenols could significantly increase the activities of CAT, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), GSH-Px, and the mRNA levels of nuclear factor 2 (Nrf2), SOD1, CAT, GPX1, GST, but decrease the content of MDA
Summary
Excessive fat deposition (5–10%) in the liver can lead to liver damage and nonalcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) [1,2]. In addition to NAFLD, excessive fat deposition usually induces a wide range of metabolic diseases, such as hyperlipemia and cardiovascular disease (CVDs). Prevention of excessive fat deposition through diet modification might be a better strategy to protect humans from metabolic diseases. Apple polyphenols (APPs), the major antioxidants in apples, have been reported to possess wide-ranging beneficial biological functions, such as antioxidant capacity [4,5], anti-inflammatory [6], hypoglycemic [7] and antiviral effects [8], and cardiovascular diseases prevention functions [9,10]. APPs are recognized as an effective food additive and dietary supplementation in Japan [11]
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