Non-targeted metabolomics reveals a modulatory effect of DHA-enriched phosphatidylserine in high fat-diet induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice

Abstract

To investigate the regulatory mechanism of docosahexaenoic acid-enriched phosphatidylserine (DHA-PS) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The murine model was established by HFD or HFD combined with DHA-PS (100 mg/kg) administration for 10 weeks. DHA-PS administration notably improved HFD-induced abnormalities of liver function, lipid indices, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress. In addition, based on non-targeted metabolomics, HFD notably disrupted the amino acid metabolism and fatty acid metabolism in murine liver tissue, while DHA-PS notably regulated the amino acid metabolism and PPAR signaling pathway to alleviate HFD-induced liver metabolic disorder. Moreover, results from Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that DHA-PS alleviated HFD-induced NAFLD by regulating lipid metabolism and restraining the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. The results obtained suggest that DHA-PS might be used as a potential dietary supplement for alleviating HFD-induced NAFLD.