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. 2024 Jan 16;12(4):2578-2587.
doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3939. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Ethyl acetate fraction of oregano seed protects non-alcoholic fatty liver in high-fat diet-induced obese mice through modulation of Srebp-1c

Hyun-Jong Lee  1 , Ji-Yun Bae  1 , Kye Won Park  2 , Mi-Ja Kim  1
Affiliations

Ethyl acetate fraction of oregano seed protects non-alcoholic fatty liver in high-fat diet-induced obese mice through modulation of Srebp-1c

Hyun-Jong Lee et al. Food Sci Nutr. .

Abstract

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) seed is used as spices and is known to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects. The anti-fatty liver effects of oregano seed ethyl acetate (OSEA) were evaluated in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. OSEA was orally administered with HFD for 10 weeks. The body weight, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein levels in the HFD with 100 mg/kg of OSEA significantly decreased by approximately 1.21-, 1.44-, 2.12-, 1.12-, 1.05, and 1.59 times, respectively, while high-density lipoprotein levels increased by approximately 1.05 times compared to those in the HFD group (p < .05). In addition, the distribution of liver fat in the HFD with 100 mg/kg OSEA (OSEA 100) group decreased significantly (p < .05). Therefore, OSEA supplementation can ameliorate fatty liver disease and reduce the accumulation of triglycerides in adipose tissue. The expression of genes involved in liver fat accumulation, such as sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (Srebp-1c), fatty acid synthase (Fas), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (Scd1), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (Acc1), significantly decreased in OSEA 100 by approximately 2.6-, 1.74-, 1.89-, and 1.56-times, respectively (p < .05). Therefore, OSEA may modify obesity and liver fat accumulation by regulating the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism.

Keywords: lipid metabolism; non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease; obesity; oregano; spice.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Effect of OSEA on body weight and tissue weight in mice. (a) Body weight in HFD‐fed mice for 10 weeks by OSEA 50 or 100, (b) initial body weight and final body weight in each group, and (c) average weight of epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and liver. Different letters are significant at .05. Symbols of *, **, and *** are significant at .05, .01, and .001, respectively.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Effect of OSEA on blood biomarkers in mice. (a) Glucose sensitivity, (b) area under curve for glucose sensitivity, and (c) serum biochemical markers including serum concentration of triglyceride, cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST). Different letters are significant at .05. Symbols of *, **, and *** are significant at .05, .01, and .001, respectively.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Epididymal adipose and liver tissue in orally administrated mice with OSEA. (a) Representative images of epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and liver through H&E staining of mice and (b) adipocytes size of eWAT. Scale bar = 0.1 μm. Adipocyte size measured used by Image J. Symbol of * is significant at .05.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Effect of OSEA on adipose tissue differentiation‐related genes in mice. (a) Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (pparγ), (b) cluster of differentiation 36 (cd36), (c) Sterol regulatory element‐binding protein‐1c (srebp‐1c), and (d) nicotinamide N‐methyltransferase (nnmt). Symbols of * and ** are significant at .05 and .01.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Effect of OSEA on hepatic tissue lipid metabolism‐related genes in mice. (a) Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha (pparα), (b) peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (pparγ), (c) sterol regulatory element‐binding protein‐1c (srebp‐1c), (d) fatty acid synthase (fas), (e) acetyl‐CoA carboxylase 1 (acc1), and (f) stearoyl‐CoA desaturase‐1 (scd1). Symbols of *, **, and *** are significant at .05, .01, and .001, respectively.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Hepatic tissue lipid metabolism‐related protein expression in OSEA administrated mice. (a) The band of hepatic tissue lipid metabolism‐related proteins, (b) peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), (c) sterol regulatory element‐binding protein‐1c (SREBP‐1C), (d) fatty acid synthase (FAS), (e) stearoyl‐CoA desaturase‐1 (SCD1), and (f) acetyl‐CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1). Symbols of *, **, and *** are significant at .05, .01, and .001, respectively.
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