Psoralea corylifolia L. Seed Extract Attenuates Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

Eunhui Seo,Hee-Sook Jun,Yoon Sin Oh

doi:10.3390/nu8020083

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), along with obesity, is increasing world-wide and is one of the major causes of chronic hepatic disease. The present study evaluated the ameliorative effect of extract of Psoralea corylifolia L. seed (PCS) on high fat diet-induced NAFLD in C57BL/6 mice after daily administration at 300 or 500 mg/kg for 12 weeks. Treatment with PCS extract significantly reduced body weight and blood glucose levels and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. In addition, PCS extract treatment significantly attenuated lipid accumulation in liver and adipose tissue and reduced serum lipid and hepatic triglyceride levels. Furthermore, the expression of lipogenic genes and inflammatory genes were reduced, and the expression of fat oxidation-related genes was increased in the liver of PCS extract-treated mice compared with control mice. Our study suggests the therapeutic potential of PCS extract for NAFLD by inhibiting lipid accumulation and inflammation in liver.

Highlights

Metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes have increased worldwide [1]
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to the spectrum of pathological conditions characterized by fatty infiltration of the liver, ranging from simple lipid accumulation to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and to the fibrosis and cirrhosis that occur in the absence of alcohol consumption, viral infection, or other specific etiologies [3]
A high-fat diet (HFD) is known to be linked to NAFLD, and HFD-induced lipotoxicity induces hepatic insulin resistance, which plays a major role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes [4,5]

Summary

Introduction

Metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes have increased worldwide [1]. More than 200 million people suffer from diabetes and more than 1 billion people are overweight or obese [2]. Because of its strong association with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, NAFLD is widely considered as characteristic of the metabolic syndrome with insulin resistance. A high-fat diet (HFD) is known to be linked to NAFLD, and HFD-induced lipotoxicity induces hepatic insulin resistance, which plays a major role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes [4,5]. There is a critical need to clarify the mechanisms that mediate the development and progression of NAFLD and type 2 diabetes, and to identify potential therapies for the disease

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion