# Purple potato extract modulates fat metabolizing genes expression, prevents oxidative stress, hepatic steatosis, and attenuates high-fat diet-induced obesity in male rats

## TL;DR

Purple potato extract helps reduce obesity and liver issues in rats on a high-fat diet by improving metabolism and reducing oxidative stress.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that purple potato extract modulates fat metabolism and antioxidant genes in high-fat diet-induced obesity in rats.

## Key findings

- Purple potato extract reduced body weight and improved glucose tolerance in high-fat diet-fed rats.
- The extract suppressed oxidative stress and restored antioxidant gene expression in the liver.
- Lipid accumulation and inflammation in the liver were reduced by purple potato extract treatment.

## Abstract

In this investigation, the significance of purple potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) extract treatment was assessed against oxidative stress and fat metabolizing transcription factors in the liver of high-fat (HF) diet-fed rats.

Wistar (male) rats were arranged into several groups and provided with a control and HF diet along with the purple potato extract. Body weights, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), insulin, plasma lipids, and oxidative stress-related indicators were analyzed in plasma and tissue samples. Additionally, real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the gene expression for oxidative stress and fat metabolism in the liver. Histological staining was also performed on pancreatic and hepatic tissues.

Purple potato extract lowered body weights and improved glucose utilization in the OGTT test in HF diet-fed rats. Purple potato extract also suppressed HF-diet-induced oxidative stress in plasma and hepatic tissues. Purple potato extract also restored the Nrf-2 expression in the liver, followed by the improved expression of HO-1, HO-2, and other antioxidant genes in HF diet-fed rats. In addition, genes involved in lipid metabolism were also positively modulated due to purple potato extract treatment. Furthermore, histological examination revealed the reduction of lipid accumulation and amelioration of inflammation due to the consumption of purple potato extract.

This investigation revealed that antioxidant-rich purple potato extract can modulate the antioxidant and fat metabolizing genes expression, ameliorated oxidative stress and glucose intolerance as well as lowered blood lipids in male rats.