Curcumin inhibits hyperlipidemia and hepatic fat accumulation in high-fructose-fed male Wistar rats.

CONTEXT: Curcumin, an active principal of Curcuma longa Linn. (Zingiberaceae), has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effects of curcumin on hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis in high-fructose-fed Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups with 10 rats in each. Two groups were fed with standard rodent diet and the other two with 60% high-fructose diet for 10 weeks. Curcumin (200 mg/kg body weight) was administered along with the diets simultaneously to each of the aforementioned diet groups. After 10 weeks of experiment, blood samples were collected from tail vein. Liver, adipose and epididymal tissues were collected after sacrifice of the animals and stored for further analyses. RESULTS: Administration of curcumin reduced body weight (280.6 ± 7.4 g), liver weight (2.5 ± 0.2 g/100 g BW), adipose weight (1.4 ± 0.3 g/100 g BW), plasma levels of TAG (86.1 ± 13.5 mg/dL), VLDL-C (17.2 ± 2.7 mg/dL), lipid ratios and increased HDL-C (28.4 ± 4.5 mg/dL) in fructose-fed rats. Curcumin supplementation significantly lowered TAG content and decreased the protein expression of LXR-α (43%) and SREBP1c (59%) in the liver. Furthermore, curcumin suppressed the expression of lipogenic enzymes, ACLY (95%), ACC (50%) and FAS (77%) in rats fed with high-fructose diet. No significant change was found in the expression of PPAR-α. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Curcumin prevented the high-fructose induced hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis.

Hydroxycitric acid ameliorates high-fructose-induced redox imbalance and activation of stress sensitive kinases in male Wistar rats.

BACKGROUND: Excess fructose consumption causes dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, and various complications. Hydroxycitric acid (HCA), one of the principal components of the fruit Garcinia cambogia, has been shown to possess antiobesity properties. The objective was to investigate the effects of HCA on redox imbalance and activation of stress sensitive kinases in high fructose-fed rats. METHODS: Male Wistar rats (n=40) were randomly divided into four groups with 10 rats in each group. The rats were fed with either standard rodent diet or 60% fructose diet and administered with HCA at a dose of 400 mg/kg body wt/day for 10 weeks. Body weight was measured once a week, and food intake was noted daily. At the end of the study, lipid profile and oxidative stress parameters were estimated. Expressions of stress sensitive kinases were analyzed in liver homogenates. RESULTS: Fructose-fed rats displayed elevated body weight, higher levels of plasma total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non HDL-C), malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), lower levels of HDL-C, glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and total antioxidant status (TAS). Fructose feeding caused higher phosphorylation of stress sensitive kinases ERK ½ and p38. Administration with HCA lowered body weight, food intake, TAG, non-HDL-C, MDA, TOS, and OSI and elevated GSH, GPx, and TAS levels. Reduced phosphorylation of ERK ½ and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was observed upon HCA treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, HCA improved fructose induced redox imbalance and activation of stress sensitive kinases through its hypolipidemic effects.

Preventive effect of curcumin on inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin resistance in high-fat fed obese rats.

BACKGROUND: The present study investigated the beneficial effects of curcumin on inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin resistance in high-fat fed male Wistar rats. METHODS: Five-month-old male Wistar rats (n=20) were divided into two groups (10 rats in each group). Among the two groups, one group received 30 % high-fat diet (HFD) and another group received 30 % HFD with curcumin (200 mg/kg body weight). Food intake, body weight and biochemical parameters were measured at the beginning and at the end of the study. After 10 weeks, oxidative stress parameters in skeletal muscle and hepatic triacylglycerol (TAG) content were estimated. Histological examinations of the liver samples were performed at the end of the experiment. RESULTS: High-fat feeding caused increase in body weight, liver and adipose tissue mass. Rats fed with HFD showed increased levels of fasting plasma glucose, insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), TAG, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c) and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). There was also increase in the plasma inflammatory markers [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP)] and skeletal muscle oxidative stress parameters [malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS)] in these rats. In addition, high-fat feeding increased liver TAG content and caused fat accumulation in the liver. Treatment with curcumin significantly reduced body weight, relative organ weights (liver, adipose tissue), glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR. Curcumin supplementation decreased plasma levels of TC, TAG, VLDL-c, TNF-α and increased HDL-c. Administration of curcumin also reduced MDA, TOS in skeletal muscle, hepatic TAG content and liver fat deposition. CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin supplementation improved HFD-induced dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance.

Antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities of the ethanolic extract of Garcinia cambogia on high fat diet-fed rats.

BACKGROUND: The study investigated the antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities of the ethanolic extract of Garcinia cambogia on high fat diet-fed rats. METHODS: The phytochemical constituents, total polyphenol content and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were estimated in the G. cambogia extract (GE). Male Wistar rats were fed with either standard rodent diet or 30% high-fat diet and administered with GE at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight/day for 10 weeks. At the end, lipid profile and oxidative stress parameters were estimated. RESULTS: The analyses revealed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, sterols, tannins, flavonoids and saponins in GE. The total polyphenol content and FRAP of GE were 82.82±7.64 mg of gallic acid equivalents and 260.49±10.18 µM FRAP per gram of the GE. High-fat feeding elevated plasma total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (non-HDL-C), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced HDL-C and blood antioxidants, glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase. Increase in total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and decrease in the total antioxidant status (TAS) were observed in plasma, liver and kidney of fat-fed rats. Administration of GE decreased food intake, plasma TC, TAG, non HDL-C, MDA, increased HDL-C and blood antioxidants GSH, GPx, catalase. GE also reduced TOS, OSI and elevated TAS in plasma and liver of fat-fed rats. Renal OSI was significantly reduced upon GE treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that GE is effective in ameliorating high-fat-diet-induced hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress.

Efficacy of garcinia cambogia on body weight, inflammation and glucose tolerance in high fat fed male wistar rats.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity leads to derangements in lipid and glucose homeostasis resulting in various metabolic complications. Plants containing vital phytochemicals are known to posses anti obesity properties and have proved to exert beneficial effects in obesity. OBJECTIVES: The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of Garcinia Cambogia on body weight, glucose tolerance and inflammation in high fat diet fed male Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five month old male wistar rats (n=40) were divided into four groups. Two groups were fed with standard rodent diet and the remaining two with 30% high fat diet. One group in each of the two sets received the crude ethanolic extract of Garcinia Cambogia at a dose of 400mg/kg body weight/day for ten weeks. Body weight, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test, leptin, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and renal function (urea, creatinine, uric acid) were studied. RESULTS: High fat diet fed rats showed increased body weight gain, glucose intolerance, elevated levels of plasma leptin and TNF-α. Supplementation of Garcinia Cambogia extract (GE) along with high fat diet significantly decreased body weight gain, glucose intolerance, plasma leptin and TNF-α level. No significant changes were observed in the renal function parameters in any of the groups. CONCLUSION: Supplementation of the Garcinia Cambogia extract with high fat diet reduced body weight gain, inflammation and glucose intolerance.

Curcumin Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Activation of Redox-Sensitive Kinases in High Fructose- and High-Fat-Fed Male Wistar Rats.

The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of curcumin on oxidative stress and redox-sensitive kinases in high fructose- and high-fat-fed rats. Sixty rats were randomly divided into six groups with ten animals each. Rats were fed with a standard rodent diet, high fructose diet (60%), and high-fat diet (30%). Curcumin was administered to control, high fructose and high fat diet groups for ten weeks. At the end of the study, body weight and blood glucose levels were measured. The antioxidant enzymes GSH (reduced glutathione), GPx (glutathione peroxidase), and catalase activities were estimated in the blood. MDA, TAS, and TOS were estimated in the plasma, liver, and kidney. Curcumin treatment decreased body weight and blood glucose levels in the rats fed with fructose and high-fat diet. Antioxidant enzymes and plasma TAS were significantly improved by curcumin treatment in high fructose-fed rats, whereas in high-fat-fed rats, there was an increase only in the GPx activity. Curcumin significantly attenuated the elevation of plasma MDA and TOS in both diet groups. Hepatic MDA and TOS were found to be decreased upon curcumin supplementation in both diet groups, whereas a decrease in the renal MDA levels was observed only in fructose-treated rats, not in fat-fed rats. Curcumin treatment elevated liver TAS in rats fed only with the fructose-rich diet. Curcumin showed a significant decrease in the oxidative stress index (OSI) in plasma, liver, and kidney tissues in both diet groups. ERK phosphorylation was significantly decreased in both diet groups by curcumin treatment. Similarly, curcumin reduced the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK only in the high fructose-fed rats, not in the high-fat-fed rats. No significant changes were found in JNK phosphorylation in both diet groups. Thus, curcumin may be effective in the management of diet-induced oxidative stress and could be explored as a therapeutic adjuvant against complications associated with obesity and diabetes.

Can protein carbonyl/glutathione ratio be used as a potential biomarker to assess oxidative stress in alcoholic hepatitis?

CONTEXT: Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). AIM: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the significance of protein carbonyl/glutathione ratio as a biomarker to assess the oxidative stress in alcoholic hepatitis. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study included 30 patients with alcoholic hepatitis and 30 age-sex- matched controls. Protein carbonyl (PCO) levels was estimated by modified levine's method, malondialdehyde (MDA) by thiobarbituric acid method, reduced glutathione (GSH) by dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid method, total sialic acid (TSA) by modified aminoff's method, plasma transferases (GGT, AST, and ALT), total protein and albumin using commercial kits adapted to autoanalyzer respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: All data were expressed as mean ± SEM. Spearman's correlation analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve were performed using SPSS version 16 for Microsoft. A P value < 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: Alcoholic hepatitis patients showed significantly higher levels of PCO, MDA, GGT, AST, AST/ALT, TSA, and significantly lower GSH, total protein and albumin levels. PCO/GSH ratio in these patients showed a significant positive correlation with GGT (r = 0.594, P = 0.000), AST/ALT (r = 0.443 P = 0.000), MDA (r = 0.727, P = 0.000), TSA (r = 0.729, P = 0.000), and a significant negative correlation with total protein (r = -0.683, P = 0.000) and albumin (r = -0.544, P = 0.000). ROC curve showed a cut off value of 2.735, indicating 100% sensitivity and 90% specificity of PCO/GSH at this value. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol intake regularly for long duration leads to oxidative stress. We suggest that PCO/GSH ratio can be used as a potential biomarker to assess oxidative stress in alcoholic hepatitis.