BACKGROUND:
Mulberries are a traditional edible food used to treat hepatic disease. The anti-obesity and hypolipidemic effects of mulberry water extracts (MWE) have attracted increasing interest. In the present study, MWE were assessed for their hepatic lipid-lowering potential when administered in fatty acid overload conditions in HepG2 cells.
RESULTS:
We found that MWE significantly reduced lipid accumulation, suppressed fatty acid synthesis, and stimulated fatty acid oxidation. Furthermore, MWE also inhibited acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase activities by stimulating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). MWE attenuated the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) and its target molecules, such as fatty acid synthase. Similar results were also measured in the expressions of enzymes involved in triglyceride and cholesterol biosyntheses including glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, and SREBP-2. In contrast, the lipolytic enzyme expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 were increased.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our study suggests that the hypolipidemic effects of MWE occur via phosphorylation of AMPK and inhibition of lipid biosynthesis. Therefore, the mulberry extract may be active in the prevention of fatty liver.
