Beneficial effects of molasses extract in treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in high-fat diet-induced obese rats through regulation of lipid metabolism, bile acid, and oxidative stress

IF 4.8 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Agriculture and Food Research Pub Date : 2025-06-09 DOI:10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102085

Sopita Wongphukhiaw , Panadda Jako , Sayomphu Puengpan , Nuthathai Sutthiwong , Sakara Tunsophon

{"title":"Beneficial effects of molasses extract in treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in high-fat diet-induced obese rats through regulation of lipid metabolism, bile acid, and oxidative stress","authors":"Sopita Wongphukhiaw , Panadda Jako , Sayomphu Puengpan , Nuthathai Sutthiwong , Sakara Tunsophon","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102085","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>One useful byproduct of the sugar industry is molasses. Main phytochemicals consist of phenolic compounds, plant sterols, octacosanol, tocopherol, and policosanol, which have antioxidant and hypolipidemic properties, reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. A natural product extracted from molasses, which has not been previously evaluated in context, was investigated for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in high-fat diet-induced obese rats, thus contributing new evidence for therapeutic approaches to NAFLD.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The rats were divided into five groups: a control group, a high-fat diet (HFD) group, two groups receiving a low dose (M250) or a high dose (M400) of molasses extract, as well as a positive control group (P20). After four weeks on the high-fat diet, the rats were treated with oral administration of the substance. This study investigated parameters associated with obesity, NAFLD, oxidative markers, lipid metabolism, bile acid pathways, and liver morphological changes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Molasses extract significantly improved lipid profiles, increased expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 protein, resulting in elevated antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced malondialdehyde levels, improved lipid and bile acid metabolisms by enhancing the expressions of low-density lipoprotein receptor, cholesterol 7-alpha-monooxygenase, bile salt export pump, and β-oxidation markers. The extract downregulated the expression of fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, HMG-CoA reductase, and cluster of differentiation 36. The histopathological results showed a notable reduction in NAS scores.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Molasses extract showed promising therapeutic effects against NAFLD in obese rats, improving hepatic steatosis, antioxidant defenses, and modulating lipid metabolism and bile acid pathways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102085"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325004569","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

One useful byproduct of the sugar industry is molasses. Main phytochemicals consist of phenolic compounds, plant sterols, octacosanol, tocopherol, and policosanol, which have antioxidant and hypolipidemic properties, reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. A natural product extracted from molasses, which has not been previously evaluated in context, was investigated for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in high-fat diet-induced obese rats, thus contributing new evidence for therapeutic approaches to NAFLD.

Methods

The rats were divided into five groups: a control group, a high-fat diet (HFD) group, two groups receiving a low dose (M250) or a high dose (M400) of molasses extract, as well as a positive control group (P20). After four weeks on the high-fat diet, the rats were treated with oral administration of the substance. This study investigated parameters associated with obesity, NAFLD, oxidative markers, lipid metabolism, bile acid pathways, and liver morphological changes.

Results

Molasses extract significantly improved lipid profiles, increased expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 protein, resulting in elevated antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced malondialdehyde levels, improved lipid and bile acid metabolisms by enhancing the expressions of low-density lipoprotein receptor, cholesterol 7-alpha-monooxygenase, bile salt export pump, and β-oxidation markers. The extract downregulated the expression of fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, HMG-CoA reductase, and cluster of differentiation 36. The histopathological results showed a notable reduction in NAS scores.

Conclusions

Molasses extract showed promising therapeutic effects against NAFLD in obese rats, improving hepatic steatosis, antioxidant defenses, and modulating lipid metabolism and bile acid pathways.

查看原文本刊更多论文

糖蜜提取物通过调节脂质代谢、胆汁酸和氧化应激对高脂肪饮食诱导的肥胖大鼠非酒精性脂肪肝的有益作用

糖蜜是制糖业的一个有用的副产品。主要的植物化学物质包括酚类化合物、植物甾醇、八糖醇、生育酚和多酚，它们具有抗氧化和降血脂的特性，减少氧化应激和炎症。从糖蜜中提取的一种天然产物，以前没有在相关背景下进行评估，被研究用于治疗高脂肪饮食诱导的肥胖大鼠的非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD），从而为NAFLD的治疗方法提供了新的证据。方法将大鼠分为5组：对照组、高脂饮食（HFD）组、糖蜜提取物低剂量（M250）组和高剂量（M400）组及阳性对照组（P20）。在高脂肪饮食4周后，大鼠开始口服这种物质。本研究调查了与肥胖、NAFLD、氧化标志物、脂质代谢、胆汁酸途径和肝脏形态变化相关的参数。结果丁香提取物通过提高低密度脂蛋白受体、胆固醇7- α -单加氧酶、胆盐输出泵和β-氧化标记物的表达，显著改善大鼠脂质谱，增加核因子红系2相关因子2蛋白的表达，提高抗氧化酶活性，降低丙二醛水平，改善脂质和胆汁酸代谢。下调脂肪酸合成酶、乙酰辅酶a羧化酶、hmg -辅酶a还原酶和分化簇36的表达。组织病理学结果显示NAS评分明显降低。结论枸杞提取物对肥胖大鼠NAFLD具有良好的治疗作用，可改善肝脏脂肪变性，增强抗氧化防御能力，调节脂质代谢和胆汁酸途径。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊