Hepatic Antioxidant Enzyme Activities Research Articles

Acrylamide-Aggravated Liver Injury by Activating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Female Mice with Diabetes.

Acrylamide (ACR) is a common industrial contaminant with endocrine-disrupting toxicity. Numerous studies have indicated that females and diabetics are more sensitive to environmental contaminants. However, it remains unknown whether female diabetics are susceptible to ACR-induced toxicity and its potential mechanisms. Thus, the female ACR-exposure diabetic Balb/c mice model was established to address these issues. Results showed that ACR could induce liver injury in normal mice and cause more serious inflammatory cell infiltration, hepatocyte volume increase, and fusion in diabetic mice liver. Meanwhile, ACR could lead to exacerbation of diabetic symptoms in diabetic mice by disturbing the glucose and lipid metabolism in the liver, which mainly manifests as the accumulation of liver glycogen and liver lipids, the reduction of the activity/content of glycolytic and metabolizing enzyme as well as pentose phosphatase, upregulation of the gene expression in fatty acid transporter and gluconeogenesis, and downregulation of the gene expression in fatty acid synthesis and metabolism. Moreover, ACR exposure could induce oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the liver by a decrease in hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity and antioxidant content, an increase in inflammatory factor levels, and a change in the related protein expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and apoptosis-related pathways in diabetic mice. Statistical analysis results revealed that ACR-induced liver injury was highly correlated with inflammation and oxidative stress, and ERS and diabetic mice had a higher risk of liver injury than normal mice. Overall results suggested that female diabetic mice easily suffer from ACR-induced toxicity, and the reason was that ACR could induce further damage to the liver by worsening the condition of inflammation, oxidative stress, and ERS in the liver.

Effects of Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Mangifera haden Seeds on Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Hepatotoxicity in Albino Rats

The present study investigated the effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Mangifera haden seeds on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in wistar albino rats. The phytochemical compositions and acute toxicity studies of crude extract and Mangifera haden seed fraction were determined using standard methods. Albino rats (60) randomly grouped into twelve of five rats each were used for this study. Determination of total bilirubin and protein, lipid peroxidation, liver enzymes marker, antioxidant enzymes, glutathione, lipid profile analysis and histological examination were carried out using standard methods. Phytochemical constituents of crude extract and ethyl acetate fraction of Mangifera haden seed showed that they contain relative amount of flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, tannins, terpenoids, triterpenes, alkaloids and coumarins. Liver injury was induced with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) at a dose of 1.0 ml/kg body weight of the animals. All the CCl4 intoxicated rats displayed hyperlipidemia as shown by their elevated levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and reduction in high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. The administration of ethyl acetate fraction of Mangifera haden seeds significantly (P = 0.05) lowered the levels of serum TC, TAG, LDL, and increased HDL levels. The level of serum malondialdehyde (MDA) significantly (P = 0.05) increased in the CCl4 group as compared to the normal and treated groups. The elevated level of serum MDA decreased (P = 0.05) significantly at the treatment of rats with 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg of ethyl acetate fraction. The rats treated with CCl4 produced significant (P = 0.05) increase in serum ALT, AST and ALP when compared to the normal group. Animals treated with varying doses of ethyl acetate fraction produced significant (P = 0.05) reduction of serum ALT, AST and ALP activities when compared to the CCl4-untreated group. The activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT and GPx) and glutathione concentration significantly (P = 0.05) decreased in CCl4­-untreated group compared to the normal group. The decreased activities of the antioxidant enzymes and glutathione concentration in CCl4 intoxicated rats were ameliorated/modulated more effectively in rats treated with 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg ethyl acetate fraction of Mangifera haden seed. Total bilirubin (TB) concentrations significantly (P = 0.05) increased in CCl4-untreated group when compared to the normal group. Oral treatment of rats with varying doses (200, 400, 600 mg/kg) of ethyl acetate fraction caused a significant (P = 0.05) decrease in the serum TB levels. Administration of CCl4 showed a reduction in serum total proteins. Treatment of the animals with 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg of ethyl acetate fraction caused significant (P = 0.05) increase in serum total potein. Histological examination showed hepatoprotective properties of plant’s fractions. The compounds found in the different fractions (ethyl acetate and n-hexane) of Mangifera haden seeds are 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)-, methyl ester, (Z) –Oleic acid and so on. Therefore the medicinal importance of the plant is been established.

Improved traits of proximate composition, liver antioxidant capacity and feeding habits in diploid hybrids from female Micropterus salmoides × male Lepomis cyanellus

Distant hybridization has been widely used as an effective strategy for improving fish germplasm. The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, LB) is a popular fish worldwide due to its excellent performance in aquaculture, edibility, and sport fishing. However, the carnivorous nature of LB increases the cost and difficulty of culture and poses a threat to wild fishery resources. At present, there is a lack of research on improving the germplasm of LB. In this study, hybrid offspring (LG) were produced by crossing female LB and male green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus, GS). The biological characteristics of the LG, such as muscle proximate composition, liver antioxidant enzyme activity, and pharyngeal tooth structure, were analyzed to evaluate their potential for aquaculture. The proximate composition analysis revealed that LG has a higher crude protein content of 20.07% compared to LB (18.1%) and GS (18.7%) (P < 0.05), and a lower crude fat content of 0.57% than LB (1.17%) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, LG had a significantly higher essential amino acid content (7.20%) than LB (6.43%) (P < 0.05), but not significantly different from GS (6.82%) (P > 0.05). In terms of fatty acid content, LG had significantly lower levels of saturated fatty acids (0.083%) compared to LB (0.153%) and GS (0.169%) (P < 0.05). Additionally, the amount of arachidonic acid (C20:4n6, ARA) in LG (0.058%) was significantly higher than LB (0.019%) and GS (0.043%) (P < 0.05). Regarding antioxidant enzyme activities in the liver, LG exhibited significantly higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity than LB and GS (P < 0.05). Electron microscopic observation of the pharyngeal tooth showed that the tooth number of LG (160.67 ± 3.93) was significantly lower than that of LB (181.67 ± 4.97) (P < 0.05) and significantly higher than that of GS (108.00 ± 3.58) (P < 0.05), while the tooth diameter of LG (0.076 ± 0.023) was significantly higher than that of LB (0.057 ± 0.016) (P < 0.05) and significantly lower than that of GS (0.108 ± 0.044) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study found that LG exhibited improved traits in proximate composition and hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity. The pharyngeal tooth characteristics indicated that LG may have different food selection and processing capabilities. This is the first report on biological characteristics in offspring produced from a distant hybridization between LB and GS, providing new insights into the genetic improvement and germplasm innovation of LB.

Structure and gene expression changes of the gill and liver in juvenile black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) under different salinities

Black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) is an important marine aquaculture species in China. It is an ideal object for the cultivation of low-salinity aquaculture strains in marine fish and the study of salinity tolerance mechanisms in fish because of its strong low-salinity tolerance ability. Gill is the main osmoregulatory organ in fish, and the liver plays an important role in the adaptation of the organism to stressful environments. In order to understand the coping mechanisms of the gills and livers of black porgy in different salinity environments, this study explored these organs after 30 days of culture in hypoosmotic (0.5 ppt), isosmotic (12 ppt), and normal seawater (28 ppt) at histologic, physiologic, and transcriptomic levels. The findings indicated that gill exhibited a higher number of differentially expressed genes than the liver, emphasizing the gill's heightened sensitivity to salinity changes. Protein interaction networks and enrichment analyses highlighted energy metabolism as a key regulatory focus at both 0.5 ppt and 12 ppt salinity in gills. Additionally, gills showed enrichment in ions, substance transport, and other metabolic pathways, suggesting a more direct regulatory response to salinity stress. The liver's regulatory patterns at different salinities exhibited significant distinctions, with pathways and genes related to metabolism, immunity, and antioxidants predominantly activated at 0.5 ppt, and molecular processes linked to cell proliferation taking precedence at 12 ppt salinity. Furthermore, the study revealed a reduction in the volume of the interlamellar cell mass (ILCM) of the gills, enhancing the contact area of the gill lamellae with water. At 0.5 ppt salinity, hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity increased, accompanied by oxidative stress damage. Conversely, at 12 ppt salinity, gill NKA activity significantly decreased without notable changes in liver structure. These results underscore the profound impact of salinity on gill structure and function, highlighting the crucial role of the liver in adapting to salinity environments.

Long-term dietary exposure to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs diclofenac and ibuprofen can affect the physiology of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) on multiple levels, even at “environmentally relevant” concentrations

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of emerging environmental contaminants, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) diclofenac (DCF) and ibuprofen (IBP), on physiological functions in juvenile common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Fish were exposed for 6 weeks, and for the first time, NSAIDs were administered through diet. Either substance was tested at two concentrations, 20 or 2000 μg/kg, resulting in four different treatments (DCF 20, DCF 2000, IBP 20, IBP 2000). The effects on haematological and biochemical profiles, the biomarkers of oxidative stress, and endocrine disruption were studied, and changes in RNA transcription were also monitored to obtain a comprehensive picture of toxicity. Fish exposure to high concentrations of NSAIDs (DCF 2000, IBP 2000) elicited numerous statistically significant changes (p < 0.05) in the endpoints investigated, with DCF being almost always more efficient than IBP. Compared to control fish, a decrease in total leukocyte count attributed to relative lymphopenia was observed. Plasma concentrations of total proteins, ammonia, and thyroxine, and enzyme activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly elevated in either group, as were the activities of certain hepatic antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase) in the DCF 2000 group. The transcriptomic profile of selected genes in the tissues of exposed fish was affected as well. Significant changes in plasma total proteins, ammonia, ALT, and ALP, as well as in the transcription of genes related to thyroid function and the antioxidant defense of the organism, were found even in fish exposed to the lower DCF concentration (DCF 20). As it was chosen to match DCF concentrations commonly detected in aquatic invertebrates (i.e., the potential feed source of fish), it can be considered “environmentally relevant”. Future research is necessary to shed more light on the dietary NSAID toxicity to fish.

The growth-promoting and lipid-lowering effects of berberine are associated with the regulation of intestinal bacteria and bile acid profiles in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco)

Berberine has growth-promoting and lipid-lowering effects potentially through the regulation of intestinal microbiota and bile acid profiles. This experiment aimed to investigate the effect of dietary berberine on the intestinal microbiota-bile acid-farnesoid X receptor (FXR) axis in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco). Fish (initial weight: 1.32 ± 0.26 g) were fed a control diet or a diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg (BBR100) or 400 mg/kg berberine (BBR400) for 60 days. The BBR400 group showed significant improvements in growth performance, hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, intestinal lysozyme activity, cholic acid, ethylchenodeoxycholic acid, and hydroguinone carboxylic acid contents, along with significantly lower intestinal immunoglobulin M, complement 3, complement 4, serum total cholesterol (TCH), and triglyceride (TG) contents, compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, both levels of berberine resulted in significant reductions in viscerosomatic index, hepatosomatic index, condition factor, hepatic TCH, TG, and malondialdehyde contents, as well as serum alanine aminotransferase activity and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol content. Berberine supplementation also significantly upregulated the expression of intestinal fxr and fibroblast growth factor 19, as well as hepatic fxr, short heterodimeric partners, and lipolysis genes, while inhibiting the expression of lipogenesis genes. Furthermore, berberine treatment improved intestinal histological parameters and increased the abundance of probiotic bacteria such as Ruegeria and Bifidobacterium, while reducing potential pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Vibrio, and Pseudonocardia. Overall, this study suggests that berberine’s growth-promoting and lipid-lowering effects might be attributed to its modulation of intestinal microbiota, bile acid profile, and hepatic and intestinal FXR signaling.

Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Lacticaseibacillus Chiayiensis AACE3 on Hepatic Antioxidant Capacity, Immune Factors and Gut Microbiology in Nandan Yao Chicks.

The growing issue of antibiotic resistance has restrained the utilization of antibiotics as growth enhancers in the poultry industry. Probiotics are candidates for replacing antibiotics in the poultry industry. However, probiotics are strain-specific and their efficacy needs to be investigated before applying them. The aim of this study was to assess the positive effects of Lacticaseibacillus chiayiensis AACE3 on the health and gut microbiota of Nandan Yao chicks. The results showed that compared with the blank control (NC) and aureomycin (PC) groups, L. chiayiensis AACE3 increased final body weight (BW), villus height and improved the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in chicken jejunal tissues. L. chiayiensis AACE3 also increased the activity of hepatic antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT and T-AOC) and reduced hepatic oxidative damage (MDA). Furthermore, compared to NC, L. chiayiensis AACE3, the activity of intestinal digestive enzymes (i.e., α-amylase, lipase and trypsin) was increased. L. chiayiensis AACE3 upregulated the production of IgA and IgG and downregulated the production of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in chicken serum. Moreover, supplementation of L. chiayiensis AACE3 enhances the diversity of gut microbes. At the phylum level, the abundance of Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria decreased with L. chiayiensis AACE3 supplementation, while the abundance of Verrucomicrobiota and Bacteroidetes increased. At the genus level, there was an increase in the abundance of potential probiotics Akkermansia, Romboutsia, Subdoligranulum, and Lactobacillus. This study confirms that L. chiayiensis AACE3 is an excellent feed additive as an alternative to aureomycin and offers various advantages for the healthy growth of chickens during the brooding period by positively affecting their gut microbiome.

Genome-Wide and 16S rRNA Sequencing-Based Analysis on the Health Effects of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei XLK401 on Chicks.

Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, serves as a growth promoter used in the poultry industry, contributeing to broiler development. However, practical studies are needed to determine the probiotic potential and growth-promoting effects of specific L. paracasei strains. This study aims to determine whether L. paracasei XLK401 influences broiler chicken growth and the mechanisms involved. Notably, we identified several bile salt and acid tolerance-related genes (Asp23, atpD, atpA, atpH, and atpF) in L. paracasei XLK401. This bacterium demonstrates robust probiotic properties under acidic conditions (pH 2.0) and 0.3% bile salt conditions. It also contains a variety of antioxidant-related genes (trxA, trxB, and tpx), carbohydrate-related genes, gene-encoding glycosidases (e.g., GH and GT), and three clusters of genes associated with antimicrobial compounds. Supplementation with L. paracasei XLK401 significantly increased the body weight of the chicks. In addition, it significantly increased hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities (GSH-Px, SOD, and T-AOC) while significantly decreasing the levels of oxidative damage factors and inflammatory factors (MDA and IL-6), resulting in improved chick health. Improvements in body weight and health status were associated with significant increases in α-amylase activity and the remodeling of the host gut microbiota by L. paracasei XLK401. Among them, actinobacteria abundance in chicken intestines after feeding them L. paracasei XLK401 was significantly decreased, Bifidobacterium sp. abundance was also significantly decreased, and Subdoligranulum sp. abundance was significantly increased. This suggests that L. paracasei XLK401 can regulate the abundance of certain bacteria without changing the overall microbial structure. In addition, in the correlation analysis, Subdoligranulums sp. were positively correlated with SOD and negatively correlated with IL-1β and MDA. Overall, our study demonstrates that L. paracasei XLK401 effectively promotes healthy chick growth. This is made possible by the modulation of gut microbe abundance and the underlying probiotic effect of L. paracasei XLK401. Based on these findings, we postulate L. paracasei XLK401 as a potential efficient growth promoter in broiler farming.

Acrylamide-Induced Hepatotoxicity Through Oxidative Stress: Mechanisms and Interventions.

Significance: Acrylamide (AA) widely exists in the environment. Studies have demonstrated that AA has neurotoxicity and potential carcinogenicity in humans, and genotoxicity and severe hepatotoxicity in animals. As the critical metabolism organ, the liver is the primary attacking target of AA. This review summarizes the recent advances in hepatotoxicity mechanism through AA-induced oxidative stress in rodent livers and hepatic cell lines, and this is beneficial to assess the risks of AA exposure and explore effective intervention methods for AA hepatotoxicity. Recent Advances: Accumulating evidence has indicated that AA-induced oxidative stress is responsible for its hepatotoxicity. The changes in homological and biochemical indexes such as activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes have been elucidated with the occurrence and development of oxidative stress. Also, the molecular mechanisms underlying AA-induced hepatotoxicity through oxidative stress have been mainly explained by apoptosis, inflammatory, and autophagic pathways. Critical Issues: This review is focusing on the molecular mechanism of hepatotoxicity through AA-induced oxidative stress, and this can provide a theoretical basis for the assessment of AA-induced health risk and finding potential intervention targets. Future Directions: Epigenetic modifications such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and modulation of the gut microbiome involved in the AA toxification pathway must be investigated, and they will provide novel insights to unravel the toxification mechanism and intervention strategy for AA hepatotoxicity. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 38, 1122-1137.

Effects of Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) on Growth Performance, Hepatic Health and Digestibility in Juvenile Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides).

This study investigated the effects of yellow mealworm meal (TM) on growth performance, hepatic health and digestibility in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). The fish were fed with the basic feed and the test feed (70% basic feed and 30% raw materials) containing Cr2O3, and feces were collected for digestibility determination. The fish were fed with five isonitrogenous (47% crude protein) and isolipidic (13% crude lipid) diets, in which fishmeal (FM) was replaced with 0% (TM0), 12% (TM12), 24% (TM24), 36% (TM36) and 48% (TM48) TM. The fish were reared in cylindrical plastic tanks in a recirculating aquaculture system for 11 weeks. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC), of dry matter, crude protein and crude lipid, in largemouth bass of TM were 74.66%, 91.03% and 90.91%, respectively. The ADC of total amino acid (TAA) of TM in largemouth bass was 92.89%, and the ADC of essential amino acid (EAA) in TM in largemouth bass was 93.86%. The final body weight (FBW), weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) in the TM24 group were significantly higher than those in other groups. Similarly, the highest mRNA expression levels of hepatic protein metabolism genes (pi3k, mtor, 4ebp2 and got) and antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase, Gpx; catalase, Cat) activities were observed in the TM24 group. Moreover, the expression levels of anti-inflammatory factors (il-10 and tgf) in liver were up-regulated and the expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors (il-8 and il-1β) in liver were down-regulated. Quadratic regression model analysis, based on weight gain rate (WGR) against dietary TM level, indicated that the optimum level of dietary TM replacing FM in largemouth bass diet was 19.52%. Appropriate replacement levels (less than 36%) of FM by TM in the diets can enhance the antioxidant capacity and immunity of largemouth bass. However, high levels of FM substitution with TM (more than 48%) in the feeds can damage the liver health and inhibit the growth of largemouth bass. Notably, largemouth bass has high ADC and high utilization of TM, which indicates that it is feasible to use TM as feed protein source for largemouth bass.

Protective Effects of the Polyphenolic-Rich Fraction of Cornsilk against Oxidative Stress in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) has become a significant public health problem worldwide and primarily correlated to hyperglycaemia and abnormal lipid and antioxidant levels. Fruit and vegetable wastes are rich in phenolic compounds thus suitable for antioxidant sources. Cornsilk (CS), a maize cultivar waste, also contains phenolic compounds. The current study investigated the anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidative properties of the Phenolic-Rich Fraction of Cornsilk (PRF-CS) in Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Five groups of 30 male Sprague Dawley rats were employed in this study. A sample size of six rats each is placed in five groups: Normal-Control (NC), Diabetic-Control (DC), Diabetic-PRF-CS treated 100 mg/kg (DPRF100) and 200 mg/kg (DPRF200), and Diabetic-Metformin Treated (Dmet) groups. The PRF-CS was administered at 100 and 200 mg/kg doses for 28 consecutive days to the diabetic rats. Treatment with both doses of PRF-CS (DPRF100 and DPRF200) significantly decreased the blood glucose levels of the rats (p&lt;0.05). Additionally, the PRF-treated rats demonstrated significantly decreased (p&lt;0.05) lipid peroxidation (3.60±0.23 and 3.31±0.56 µmol/g, respectively). The hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) (169.35±4.75 and 175.30±3.69 U/mg, respectively), Catalase (CAT) (1457.51±152.74 and 2011.99±396.96 U/mg), and Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px) (63.43±2.99 and 78.47±4.51 U/mg) were also elevated in contrast to the DC group. Furthermore, the PRF-CS administration improved the histological alterations in the liver tissues of the DPRF100 and DPRF200 rats. In conclusion, PRF-CS treatment exhibited protective effects in the diabetic rat model by decreasing oxidative stress and preserving liver integrity.

Effects of dietary pomegranate peel supplementation on growth performance and biochemical responses of common carp, Cyprinus carpio, to chronic crowding stress

In the present study, the effects of dietary pomegranate peel (PP) at 0 (PP0; control), 5 (PP5), 10 (PP10), 15 (PP15), and 20 (PP20) g/kg were investigated in common carp, Cyprinus carpio (18.1 ± 0.42 g), under normal and stressful conditions. The fish were fed the aforementioned diets over two 4-week periods, one under normal stocking density (5 g/L; basal) and the other under high stocking density (15.5–16.3 g/L; stressed). The results showed that there were no significant differences in growth performance between the PP0 and PP5 treatments. However, PP10, PP15, and PP20 showed deteriorated growth performance, compared to PP0 treatment. The poorest growth parameters have been observed in PP15 and PP20 treatments. Plasma cortisol, glucose, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase significantly increased after the stress in all treatments. PP5 and PP10 had significantly lower plasma cortisol and PP10 and PP15 had significantly lower plasma glucose and aspartate aminotransferase, compared to PP0 treatment. Increase in dietary PP levels significantly decreased alanine aminotransferase activity. The stress and increase in dietary PP levels significantly decreased the plasma T3 and T4 levels. Dietary PP significantly improved plasma lysozyme (PP5, PP10, and PP15) and complement (PP5 and PP10) activities and mitigated their decrease after the stress (the best effects in PP10), but was not beneficial in mitigating plasma total immunoglobulin decrease after the stress. Dietary PP (5–15 g/kg) significantly decreased hepatic antioxidant enzymes activities and mitigated their elevations after the stress. Hepatic malondialdehyde significantly decreased by dietary PP administration, but increased after the stress. The lowest hepatic malondialdehyde level was observed in PP10 treatment. In conclusion, dietary 5 g/kg PP is recommended as the best supplemental level that improves the fish health, without adverse effects on the fish growth performance.

Effects of Dietary Alpha-Lipoic Acid on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical Indexes, Liver Antioxidant Capacity and Transcriptome of Juvenile Hybrid Grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × Epinephelus polyphekadion♂).

We aimed to investigate the effects of dietary alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA) on the growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, liver morphology, antioxidant capacity, and transcriptome of juvenile hybrid groupers (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × Epinephelus polyphekadion♂). Four experimental diets supplemented with 0 (SL0), 0.4 (L1), 0.6 (L2), and 1.2 (L3) g/kg α-LA were formulated and fed to three replicates of juvenile hybrid grouper (24.06 ± 0.15 g) for 56 d. The results indicated that dietary 0.4 and 0.6 g/kg α-LA significantly decreased the weight gain rate in juvenile hybrid groupers. Compared with SL0, the content of total protein in the serum of L1, L2, and L3 increased significantly, and alanine aminotransferase decreased significantly. The content of albumin in the serum of L3 increased significantly, and triglyceride, total cholesterol, and aspartate aminotransferase decreased significantly. In addition, the hepatocyte morphology in L1, L2, and L3 all showed varying degrees of improvement, and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in the liver of L2 and L3 were significantly increased. A total of 42 differentially expressed genes were screened in the transcriptome data. KEGG showed that a total of 12 pathways were significantly enriched, including the pathway related to immune function and glucose homeostasis. The expression of genes (ifnk, prl4a1, prl3b1, and ctsl) related to immune were significantly up-regulated, and the expressions of gapdh and eno1 genes related to glucose homeostasis were significantly down-regulated and up-regulated, respectively. In summary, dietary supplementation of 0.4 and 0.6 g/kg α-LA inhibited the growth performance of juvenile hybrid groupers. A total of 1.2 g/kg α-LA could reduce the blood lipid level, improve hepatocyte damage, and increase the hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity. Dietary α-LA significantly affected the pathway related to immune function and glucose homeostasis.

Dietary supplementation with Lycium barbarum polysaccharides conducive to maintaining the health of Luciobarbus capito via the enhancement of enzyme activities and the modulation of gut microbiota

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is the main active component of Lycium barbarum (L. barbarum), which has important medicinal and nutritional value. However, the effect of LBP treatment on Luciobarbus capito (L. capito) still remains unknown. Given this, the current work aims to probe the underlying effect of different levels of LBP treatment (i.e. 0.10, 0.50 and 1.00 g/L) on L. capito in the context of enzymatic activity analysis, histological observations and gut microbiota analysis. Compared with control group, the activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes, intestinal digestive enzymes and hepatic immune enzyme were found to be significantly increased after 0.10 g/L LBP and 0.50 g/L LBP treatment (P < 0.05). This result indicated that moderate levels of LBP treatment could dramatically enhance the immunity and antioxidant capacity of L. capito. Furthermore, the compositional structures of the gut microbiota in L. capito were found to be greatly shaped after LBP treatment, whereas the diversity and abundance of the gut microbiota were only found to be slightly changed (P > 0.05). No significant changes were screened in the morphologic structures of gut constructions. This work would provide theoretical and experimental basis for future application of LBP as supplement in the culture process of the farmed fish.

Protective effects of chlorogenic acid on growth, intestinal inflammation, hepatic antioxidant capacity, muscle development and skin color in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus fed an oxidized fish oil diet

Under oxidative stress condition, the protective effects of dietary chlorogenic acid (CGA) supplementation on liver antioxidant capacity, intestinal inflammation and barrier function, muscle development and skin coloration in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were explored in the current study. With that purpose, I. punctatus were fed five experimental diets containing 2% fresh fish oil (FFO, 9.2 meqO2/kg) or 2% oxidized fish oil (OFO, 897.4 meqO2/kg) without or with CGA supplementation (0.02%, 0.04% and 0.08%) for 8 weeks. Upon comparative analysis, the oxidized fish oil consumption significantly lowered weight gain rate, decreased intestinal villi length and muscular thickness values and the tight junction proteins mRNA abundance, augmented the intestinal proinflammatory factors, attenuated hepatic antioxidant enzymes activities and related genes mRNA expression levels, influenced the myogenic regulatory factors expression profile and impacted the myocyte density, myocyte area values as well as the skin pigments contents compared to the FFO treatment. Collectively, long-term feeding of the oxidized fish oil diet suppressed the growth performance, destroyed intestinal structural integrity, caused intestinal inflammation and hepatic oxidative stress, impacted the skeletal development and skin color of I. punctatus. Whereas CGA supplementation in oxidized fish oil diets partially counteracted the negative effects of the oxidized fish oil on I. punctatus in terms of increasing the growth performance, improving the intestinal mucosal structure, alleviating hepatic oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation, recompiling the myogenic regulatory factors expression and improving skin color. In conclusion, CGA has great potential to be an aquatic feed additive.

Enhancing Effect of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) on Liver Antioxidant Activity in Mice Exposed to Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Objective: Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a fundamental polyphenol compound present in green tea. Green tea has been credited for centuries with providing significant health benefits. The aim of this study was to test whether the antioxidant component of EGCG can enhance hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity and consequently increase endogenous antioxidant defense in mice exposed to cardiovascular disease. Groups of male mice were subjected to different diet (standard fat diet, high fat diet and low-fat diet), exercise (voluntary, chronic and sedentary lifestyle) and EGCG supplementation. EGCG powder was dissolved in 4 ml of drinking water to deliver a daily dose of 30 mg/kg.Mice were anesthetized with isoflurane (Abbott, Cham, Switzerland) 2% (v/v) in a 20% O2 and 80% air mixture by inhalation in a closed container, then euthanized by manual cervical dislocation and were put on the animal's bed to collect liver tissue for analysis of antioxidant enzyme activities.We compared the variation in antioxidant enzyme activity between the control and treated groups using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for𝑝-value ˂ 0.05% was considered statistically significant. Results: In this study we showed that mice on a high-fat diet and sedentary lifestyle had significantly decreased superoxide dismutase 1 (p-value = 0, 001 after diets treatment, p-value = 0, 009 after exercise treatment), glutathion peroxidase 1 (p- value = 0, 016 after diets treatment, p-value = 0, 0022 after exercise treatment), catalase (p- value = 0, 019 after diets treatment,p-value = 0,005 after exercise treatment) and thioredoxin reductase 1(p- value = 0,000 after diets treatment, p-value = 0,027 after exercise treatment) activities. EGCG enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes in mice subjected to high fat diet or subjected to sedentary lifestyle.

Hepatoprotective effect of botanical drug formula on high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by inhibiting lipogenesis and promoting anti-oxidation.

With the prevalence of obesity and other components of metabolic syndrome, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become increasingly common. In recent years, much attention has been paid to various plant sources, hoping to find a treatment for NAFLD in plants. The Livsooth authentic herbal formula (LAH, ), a botanical drug formula combined with Puerariae lobatae radix, Lonicerae japonicae flos, Hoveniae semen, and Siraitiae fructus. This study used a network pharmacology approach to predict the potential mechanisms of LAH against NAFLD. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses have identified potential biochemical and signaling pathways. Subsequently, the potential mechanism of action of LAH on NAFLD predicted by network pharmacology analysis was validated in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD model in C57BL/6 mice. Our results demonstrated that LAH ameliorated hepatocyte steatosis in liver tissue by activating the AMPK pathway and decreasing serum triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, glucose, and cholesterol. Besides, LAH increased the hepatic antioxidant enzymes activities, suggested that LAH improved oxidative stress markers in HFD induced NAFLD mice. In vitro experiments confirmed that the active component of LAH, puerarin, regulates lipid accumulation through the AMPK pathway. In conclusion, our study shows that network pharmacology predictions are consistent with experimental validation. LAH can be a candidate supplement for the prevention of NAFLD.

Effects of dietary berberine on growth performance, lipid metabolism, antioxidant capacity and lipometabolism-related genes expression of AMPK signaling pathway in juvenile black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) fed high-fat diets.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of high-fat diet (HFD) supplemented with berberine on growth, lipid metabolism, antioxidant capacity and lipometabolism-related genes expression of AMPK signaling pathway in juvenile black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus). Five hundred and forty healthy fish (4.04 ± 0.01g) were randomly distributed into six groups, and fed six experimental diets: normal-fat diet (NFD, 5% fat), HFD (15% fat), and four HFDs supplemented with graded levels of berberine, respectively. The results showed that, compared with fish fed NFD, HFD had no effects on the growth of fish except for reducing survival rate, whereas HFD caused extensive lipid accumulation, oxidative stress injury and hepatic abnormalities. However, compared with the HFD group, fish fed HFD containing an appropriate berberine (98.26 or 196.21mg/kg) improved the growth performance, increased hepatic lipid metabolism and antioxidant enzymes activities, and up-regulated the mRNA expression levels of ampk subunits and lipolysis genes such as pparα, cpt-1, acox, atgl and hsl (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, HFD supplemented with an appropriate berberine reduced crude lipid contents in liver and whole-body, decreased serum lipid contents, and ALT and AST activities, and down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of lipogenesis genes such as srebp-1, acc1, gpat, fas and pparγ, and lipid transporter genes such as fatp, fabp and fat/cd36 (P < 0.05). Thus, HFD supplemented with an appropriate berberine could improve growth of black carp, promote lipid metabolism and enhance antioxidant capacity. The lipid-lowering mechanism of berberine might be mediated by activating AMPK pathway, up-regulating lipolysis genes expression, and down-regulating lipogenesis and transport genes expression.

Mechanisms of Ardisia japonica in the Treatment of Hepatic Injury in Rats Based on LC-MS Metabolomics.

The mechanism of action of Ardisia japonica in the treatment of immune liver injury was systematically analyzed from the perspective of the biological metabolic network by using non-targeted metabolomics combined with biological network analysis tools. A rat model of acute immune hepatic injury was established by Concanavalin A (Con A) and the efficacy of the treatment of acute immune liver injury was judged by gavage of A. japonica. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based plasma metabolomics was used to identify the key metabolites and metabolic pathways for the hepatoprotective effects of A. japonica. The results demonstrated that A. japonica reduced the levels of inflammatory parameters, decreased hepatic malondialdehyde levels, and enhanced hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity in animal experiments. The clustering of metabolomic samples showed significant separation in principal component analysis plots and the three groups in PLS-DA and OPLS-DA models could be clearly distinguished in multivariate statistical analysis. Among the 937 total metabolites, 445 metabolites were significantly different between the control and model groups, while 144 metabolites were identified as metabolites with differences between the model and administration groups, and a total of 39 differential metabolites were identified to affect the metabolic levels of the three groups. The differential metabolites were principally involved in the citric acid cycle, glutathione metabolism, vitamin B6 metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. This study found that A. japonica can significantly inhibit acute liver injury in rats, and exert a hepatoprotective effect through anti-inflammatory effect, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, improvement of the antioxidant defense system, and regulation of metabolites and related metabolic pathways. This study will provide a theoretical basis for the application of A. japonica in the treatment of the liver injury.

Effects of Quercetin on the Intestinal Microflora of Freshwater Dark Sleeper Odontobutis potamophila.

Flavonoids have antimicrobial and anti-oxidation properties. The effects of the flavonoid quercetin on the intestinal microflora of freshwater dark sleeper Odontobutis potamophila were tested for the first time. Odontobutis potamophila juveniles were treated with quercetin for 21 days at one of three concentrations (2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/L) and compared with a control group that was not treated with quercetin. Quercetin improved the stability of the intestinal flora in O. potamophila and the probiotic bacteria Bacillus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. increased in species abundance after the low concentration quercetin treatments. Furthermore, the abundance of pathogenic bacteria Plesiomonas spp., Aeromonas spp., and Shewanella spp. decreased after the fish had been exposed to quercetin. Activity of hepatic antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD), (glutathione S-transferase, GST), (glutathione peroxidase, GSH-Px), and (total antioxidant capacity, T-AOC) increased in the livers of O. potamophila treated with quercetin, thereby increasing their hepatic antioxidant capacity and their ability to scavenge free radicals.