Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Upregulates Paraoxonase 1 Gene Expression and Activity with Concomitant Reduction of Hepatic Steatosis in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016:2016:8379105. doi: 10.1155/2016/8379105. Epub 2016 Aug 25.

Abstract

Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), a fruit from the Amazon region, has emerged as a promising source of polyphenols. Açai consumption has been increasing owing to ascribed health benefits and antioxidant properties; however, its effects on hepatic injury are limited. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant effect of filtered açai pulp on the expression of paraoxonase (PON) isoforms and PON1 activity in rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The rats were fed a standard AIN-93M (control) diet or a high-fat (HF) diet containing 25% soy oil and 1% cholesterol with or without açai pulp (2 g/day) for 6 weeks. Our results show that açai pulp prevented low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, increased serum and hepatic PON1 activity, and upregulated the expression of PON1 and ApoA-I in the liver. In HF diet-fed rats, treatment with açai pulp attenuated liver damage, reducing fat infiltration and triglyceride (TG) content. In rats receiving açai, increased serum PON1 activity was correlated with a reduction in hepatic steatosis and hepatic injury. These findings suggest the use of açai as a potential therapy for liver injuries, supporting the idea that dietary antioxidants are a promising approach to enhance the defensive systems against oxidative stress.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / isolation & purification
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Apolipoprotein A-I / metabolism
  • Aryldialkylphosphatase / blood
  • Aryldialkylphosphatase / genetics
  • Aryldialkylphosphatase / metabolism*
  • Diet, High-Fat*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Euterpe / chemistry*
  • Female
  • Fruit
  • Lipoproteins, LDL / metabolism
  • Liver / drug effects*
  • Liver / enzymology
  • Liver / pathology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / blood
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / drug therapy*
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / enzymology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • Phytotherapy
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plants, Medicinal
  • Polyphenols / isolation & purification
  • Polyphenols / pharmacology
  • Rats, Inbred F344
  • Triglycerides / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Apolipoprotein A-I
  • Lipoproteins, LDL
  • Plant Extracts
  • Polyphenols
  • Triglycerides
  • oxidized low density lipoprotein
  • Pon1 protein, rat
  • Aryldialkylphosphatase