LB052 - ANNONA MURICATA LEAF EXTRACT ATTENUATES HEPATIC STEATOSIS THROUGH MODULATION OF LIPID METABOLISM IN DIET-INDUCED OBESE MICE

LB052

ANNONA MURICATA LEAF EXTRACT ATTENUATES HEPATIC STEATOSIS THROUGH MODULATION OF LIPID METABOLISM IN DIET-INDUCED OBESE MICE

K. V. Ayala Huaman^1,*, M. A. Arredondo Olguín², M. E. Villanueva Espinoza³

¹Doctoral Program in Nutrition, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru, ²Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile, ³Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru

Rationale: Obesity promotes hepatic steatosis through dysregulated lipid metabolism. This study evaluated the effects of Annona muricata leaf extract on hepatic lipid accumulation and lipid metabolism-related pathways in diet-induced obese mice.

Methods: Male BALB/c mice (n=42) were assigned to normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD treated with Annona muricata extract at 500 mg/kg (HFD-AM500), HFD treated with Annona muricata extract at 250 mg/kg (HFD-AM250), HFD treated with metformin (HFD-MET), and a preventive group (PREV). Obesity was induced by HFD feeding for 8 weeks, followed by 6 weeks of treatment. Hepatic fat content, liver weight, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatic mRNA expression of key regulators of lipid metabolism (PPARγ, PPARα, AMPK, SREBP and FASN) was assessed. Statistical analyses included ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests with post hoc comparisons.

Results: Compared with ND, the HFD group showed increased hepatic fat content (21.1±3.43% vs 2.48±1.52%, p<0.0001), liver weight (3.35±0.34 vs 1.76±0.28 g, p<0.0001), ALT (86.4±19.7 vs 32.9±7.37 U/L, p<0.0001), and AST (90.4±12.6 vs 63.7±11.85 U/L, p=0.011). Compared with HFD, HFD-AM500 reduced hepatic fat content to 6.33±2.33% (p<0.0001), decreased liver weight to 2.55±0.17 g  (p=0.0013), ALT to 43.4±13.9 U/L (p<0.0001), and AST to 65.5±13.9 U/L (p=0.0206). These effects were accompanied by downregulation of PPARγ, SREBP, and FASN and increased AMPK  and PPARα mRNA relative expression. PREV showed reduced steatosis and the lowest liver weight among HFD-exposed animals.

Conclusion: Annona muricata leaf extract attenuated HFD-induced hepatic steatosis and improved liver enzyme alterations. These effects were associated with suppression of lipogenic pathways and activation of fatty acid oxidation pathways, supporting its potential role in obesity-associated hepatic steatosis.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared