Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde 1, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Centre of Research On Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine, Institute of Medicinal Research and Medicinal Plants Studies, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Yaounde, Cameroon.
BMC Complement Med Ther. 2022 Apr 28;22(1):117. doi: 10.1186/s12906-022-03602-4.
Lipotropic molecules are effective therapeutic targets to counteract non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Lipotropic compounds are capable of removing fat from the liver and/or manage the reduction of the synthesis or deposition of lipids in the liver. The objective of this study was to evaluate the lipotropic effects of the aqueous extract of leaves of Vernonia guineensis (AEVG) on rats fed high fat diet.
Twenty male rats with an average mass of 235 g were allow acclimatize for seven days, following which they were divided into four groups of five animals each. The test group was treated with high fat diet (HFD) and AEVG at 400 mg/kgBW, while positive control group received HFD and Fenofibrate at 100 mg/kgBW. The normal control group received a normal diet; and the negative control group received HFD. After 14 days of treatment, animals were sacrificed, blood and organs (liver, heart and kidneys), as well as the faeces were collected for the preparation of plasma and homogenates respectively. Some markers of lipid profil (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c, LDL-c,) and markers of toxicity (AST, ALT, γ-GT, creatinine) were evaluated.
The results obtained showed that a HFD at the hepatic level led to the accumulation of lipids (triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC)) and had adverse effects on hepatic function by promoting cytolysis. At the plasma level, HFD induced hyperlipidemia. Administration of AEVG at 400 mg/kgBW improved the blood lipid profile and reduced the storage of TG and cholesterol in the liver. AEVG also promoted fecal cholesterol excretion and reduced atherogenic indices which include Total Cholesterol/High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (TC/HDL-c) and Low-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol/High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c/HDL-c). The extract exhibited hepato-protective activity (anticholestasis) and improved glomerular filtration.
These findings suggest that AEVG possesses lipotropic effects confirming its probable use in the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its cardiometabolic complications. This virtue could be exploited for local pharmaceutical development.
肝磷脂分子是对抗非酒精性脂肪肝疾病 (NAFLD) 的有效治疗靶点。肝磷脂化合物能够从肝脏中去除脂肪，或控制肝脏中脂质的合成或沉积减少。本研究的目的是评估叶 Vernonia guineensis 的水提物 (AEVG) 对高脂肪饮食喂养大鼠的肝磷脂作用。
20 只平均体重为 235g 的雄性大鼠适应环境 7 天，随后将其分为四组，每组 5 只动物。实验组用高脂肪饮食 (HFD) 和 AEVG 治疗 400mg/kgBW，阳性对照组用 HFD 和 Fenofibrate 治疗 100mg/kgBW。正常对照组给予正常饮食；阴性对照组给予 HFD。治疗 14 天后，处死动物，收集血液和器官（肝脏、心脏和肾脏）以及粪便，分别制备血浆和匀浆。评估一些脂质谱标记物（总胆固醇、甘油三酯、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇）和毒性标记物（AST、ALT、γ-GT、肌酐）。
结果表明，HFD 在肝脏水平导致脂质（甘油三酯 (TG) 和总胆固醇 (TC)) 积累，并通过促进细胞溶解对肝功能产生不利影响。在血浆水平，HFD 诱导高脂血症。给予 AEVG 400mg/kgBW 可改善血脂谱，并减少肝脏 TG 和胆固醇的储存。AEVG 还促进粪便胆固醇排泄，并降低致动脉粥样硬化指数，包括总胆固醇/高密度脂蛋白胆固醇 (TC/HDL-c) 和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇/高密度脂蛋白胆固醇 (LDL-c/HDL-c)。该提取物具有肝保护活性（抗胆汁淤积）和改善肾小球滤过。
这些发现表明，AEVG 具有肝磷脂作用，证实其可能用于治疗非酒精性脂肪肝疾病及其代谢并发症。这一优点可用于当地制药的发展。
