Astaxanthin alleviates altered hepatic lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in animals fed a high-sucrose diet

TL;DR

Astaxanthin from freshwater crabs reduces liver damage and oxidative stress in rats on a high-sucrose diet.

Contribution

Demonstrates astaxanthin's efficacy in mitigating hepatic lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in high-sucrose-fed rats.

Findings

Astaxanthin reduced liver steatosis and triglyceride accumulation in high-sucrose-fed rats.

Astaxanthin improved redox status by lowering ROS and increasing antioxidant enzyme activity.

Astaxanthin modulated Nrf2 and p-NFκB p65, key regulators of oxidative and inflammatory responses.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of an Astaxanthin (ASTX)- rich extract—a powerful antioxidant—obtained from freshwater crustaceans (Dilocarcinus pagei crabs) on liver disturbed lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in rats fed a high-sucrose diet (HSD).

Male Wistar rats were fed for 13 weeks with either: 1—a standard commercial rodent diet (RD), 2—a HSD, 3—a RD plus ASTX, or 4—a HSD plus ASTX. The rats were given orally either ASTX (10 mg/kg body weight/day in sunflower oil) or only the vehicle.

ASTX supplementation attenuated liver injury, as reflected by a reduction in steatosis severity and hepatic triglyceride accumulation. This effect appears to be primarily achieved by promoting mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation, as suggested by increased hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) activity, without significantly affecting lipogenesis. In addition, ASTX improved intracellular redox status by preventing the increase in hepatic reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and by promoting a significant increase in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST). ASTX was also able to restore altered GSH levels. Furthermore, ASTX induced an up-regulation of Nrf2 and a down-regulation of p-NFκB p65 protein expression, key transcription factors that govern cellular responses under pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory conditions.

This study suggests that ASTX obtained from the freshwater crustacean D. pagei exerts beneficial effects against altered hepatic lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in HSD-fed rats, positioning this species as a promising novel source of ASTX for functional nutrition strategies.

Diagram of a male Wistar rat study comparing high-sucrose diet (HSD) vs HSD plus astaxanthin (ASTX) for 13 weeks (ASTX 10 mg/kg/day). Left (HSD, green) shows increased liver weight, NAS, lipogenic enzyme activity, ROS, GSH, and p NFκB p65, with decreased CPT 1 activity, antioxidant enzyme activity, and Nrf2. Right (HSD+ASTX, red) shows reduced liver weight/NAS and inflammatory/oxidative markers, with improved CPT 1, CAT/GST, and Nrf2.

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