Effects of Chitosan and Wheat Bran on Serum Leptin, TNF-α, Lipid Profile and Oxidative Status in Animal Model of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver

This study was carried out to investigate the capacity of chitosan and wheat bran to protect against high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty six adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (average body weight of 120-150 g) were randomly assigned to six groups (n=6 rats/group) and fed on one of the following experimental diets: (i) basal diet, negative control; (ii) basal diet containing 5% chitosan, chitosan group; (iii) basal diet containing 5% wheat bran, wheat bran group; (iv) high fat diet (1% cholesterol + 7.5% corn oil + 15% beef tallow), positive control; (v) high fat diet containing 5% chitosan, high fat + chitosan; (vi) high fat diet containing 5% wheat bran, high fat + wheat bran. The trial lasted 6 weeks. RESULTS: High fat diet reduced food intake and increased body weight gain and liver weights. Also, High fat diet increased Hepatic fat deposition and elevated serum levels of triacylglycerol (TAG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and decreased serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). This effect was associated with increased levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), leptin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and decreased serum levels of total proteins, albumin and globulin. Moreover, high fat diet elevated hepatic malondialdhyde and reduced the levels of hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH), erythrocytes copper, zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu, Zn-SOD) and plasma catalase. Dietary chitosan but not wheat bran supplementation significantly reduced high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia and fat accumulation in liver. Furthermore, increased TNF-alpha and hyperleptinemia in high fat fed rats were significantly ameliorated by treatment with chitosan or wheat bran. Also, chitosan and wheat bran treatments ameliorated hepatic lipid peroxidation and antioxidant capacity. These effects were associated with improvement in liver function biomarkers. CONCLUSION: Chitosan has an advantage over wheat bran in exerting a significant hepatoprotective effect against non-alcoholic fatty liver. The hepatoprotective effect of chitosan might be ascribable to its antilipidemic, anti-inflammatory and/or antioxidant property.