Nutr Res Pract.  2014 Feb;8(1):20-26.

Effect of combined mulberry leaf and fruit extract on liver and skin cholesterol transporters in high fat diet-induced obese mice

• Valacchi G
• Belmonte G
• Miracco C
• Eo H
• Lim Y

Abstract

Obesity is an epidemic disease characterized by an increased inflammatory state and chronic oxidative stress with high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and lipid peroxidation. Moreover, obesity alters cholesterol metabolism with increases in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterols and triglycerides and decreases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterols. It has been shown that mulberry leaf and fruit ameliorated hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic conditions in obese and diabetic subjects. We hypothesized that supplementation with mulberry leaf combined with mulberry fruit (MLFE) ameliorate cholesterol transfer proteins accompanied by reduction of oxidative stress in the high fat diet induced obesity. Mice were fed control diet (CON) or high fat diet (HF) for 9 weeks. After obesity was induced, the mice were administered either the HF or the HF with combination of equal amount of mulberry leaf and fruit extract (MLFE) at 500mg/kg/day by gavage for 12 weeks. MLFE treatment ameliorated HF induced oxidative stress demonstrated by 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and modulated the expression of 2 key proteins involved in cholesterol transfer such as scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1) and ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) in the HF treated animals. This effect was mainly noted in liver tissue rather than in cutaneous tissue. Collectively, this study demonstrated that MLFE treatment has beneficial effects on the modulation of high fat diet-induced oxidative stress and on the regulation of cholesterol transporters. These results suggest that MLFE might be a beneficial substance for conventional therapies to treat obesity and its complications.

Keyword

ATP-binding cassette transporter A1; cholesterol metabolism; mulberry; obesity; scavenger receptor class B type 1

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cholesterol*
Cytokines
Diet
Diet, High-Fat
Fruit*
Lipid Peroxidation
Lipoproteins
Liver*
Metabolism
Mice
Mice, Obese*
Morus*
Obesity
Oxidative Stress
Receptors, Scavenger
Skin*
Triglycerides
Cholesterol
Cytokines
Lipoproteins
Receptors, Scavenger
Triglycerides

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Effect of MLFE supplementation on liver (A) and skin (B) morphology in high fat diet-induced obese mice. (magnitude × 100) CON: the mice fed the control diet, HF: the mice fed the high fat diet, MLFE: the mice fed the HF group administered with 1:1 ratio of MLE and MFE at dose of 500 mg/kg/day.

• 

  Fig. 2 Effect of MLFE supplementation on 4-HNE expression of liver (A) and skin (B) in high fat diet-induced obese mice. (magnitude × 100) (C) is a quantitative estimation for 4-HNE. CON: the mice fed the control diet, HF: the mice fed the high fat diet, MLFE: the mice fed the HF group administered with 1:1 ratio of MLE and MFE at dose of 500 mg/kg/day. *significant vs respective control. #significant within the same group. P < 0.05

• 

  Fig. 3 Effect of MLFE supplementation on liver SR-B1 (A) and ABCA1 (B) expressions in high fat diet-induced obese mice. (magnitude × 100) (C) is a quantitative estimation for SR-B1 and ABCA1. CON: the mice fed the control diet, HF: the mice fed the high fat diet, MLFE: the mice fed the HF group administered with 1:1 ratio of MLE and MFE at dose of 500 mg/kg/day. *significant vs respective control. #significant within the same group. P < 0.05

• 

  Fig. 4 Effect of MLFE supplementation on skin SR-B1 (A) and ABCA1 (B) expressions in high fat diet-induced obese mice. (magnitude × 100) (C) is a quantitative estimation for SR-B1 and ABCA1. CON: the mice fed the control diet, HF: the mice fed the high fat diet, MLFE: the mice fed the HF group administered with 1:1 ratio of MLE and MFE at dose of 500 mg/kg/day. *significant vs respective control. #significant within the same group. P < 0.05

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