Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of the water extract of fermented rice bran (FRB) on liver damage and intestinal injury in old rats fed a high-fat (HF) diet. Rice bran (RB) was fermented with Aspergillus kawachii, and FRB was produced based on a previous study. Male Sprague Dawley rats at 36 weeks of age were allowed free access to a standard rodent diet and water for 8 weeks of acclimation then randomly divided into four groups (six rats/group), including a normal control (NC) group (normal diet), HF group (HF diet; 60% of total calories from fat), HF + 1% FRB group (HF diet + 1% FRB w/w), and HF + 5% FRB group (HF diet + 5% FRB w/w). It was found that the antioxidant ability of FRB was significantly increased when compared to RB. After 8 weeks of feeding, the HF group exhibited liver damage including an increased non-alcoholic fatty liver disease score (hepatic steatosis and inflammation) and higher interleukin (IL)-1β levels, while these were attenuated in the FRB-treated groups. Elevated plasma leptin levels were also found in the HF group, but the level was down-regulated by FRB treatment. An altered gut microbiotic composition was observed in the HF group, while beneficial bacteria including of the Lactobacillaceae and Lachnospiraceae had increased after FRB supplementation. In conclusion, it was found that FRB had higher anti-oxidative ability and showed the potential for preventing liver damage induced by a HF diet, which might be achieved through regulating imbalanced adipokines and maintaining a healthier microbiotic composition.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 1 billion people globally were 60 years and older in 2020 [1], and over 1.9 billion adults were overweight and obese (with a body-mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2) in 2016 [2]
The first hit is mainly correlated with insulin resistance (IR), which stimulates the release of free fatty acids (FAs; FFAs) from adipocytes, thereby leading to excess accumulation of triglycerides (TGs) in the liver [7]
Oxidative stress triggers the second hit of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), accompanied by the generation of lipid peroxidation and proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which accelerate the progression of NAFLD [8]
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 1 billion people globally were 60 years and older in 2020 [1], and over 1.9 billion adults were overweight and obese (with a body-mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2) in 2016 [2]. There were a number of risk factors and chronic disease signs caused by or related to obesity which were ranked in the top ten leading causes of death in Taiwan [4]. These conditions revealed that the incidence of chronic diseases such as obesity and METS had greatly increased with aging. It was reported that decreased serum adiponectin levels and liver AdipoR2 protein levels were observed after high-fat (HF) diet intake, which inactivates AMPKα and SIRT1, thereby inhibiting FA oxidation [11]. Nutrients appear to be involved in modulating the gut microbiotic structure in order to balance changes in the intestinal microbiota in the elderly
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