Papel protetor do consumo de smoothie de juçara na doença hepática gordurosa não alcóolica em camundongos obesos

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the type of liver disease with the highest prevalence worldwide. Lifestyle changes appear to have a major impact on the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. In this context, the adoption of a diet rich in bioactive compounds plays an important role in protecting against the development of NAFLD. Juçara, a fruit rich in bioactive compounds, exerts antioxidant activity and is a potential food in the treatment of NAFLD. The present study aimed to evaluate the consumption of fruit smoothie in oxidative stress and in the development of NAFLD in obese mice induced by a high-fat diet. The animals were divided into a control group (C), a control group with a juçara smoothie (C-J), a group with a high-fat diet (HFD) and a group with a high-fat diet and juçara smoothie (HFD-J). The HFD and HFD-J groups showed greater body weight gain than the other groups, however the HFD showed a higher adiposity index. The HFD group also showed higher concentrations of glucose, insulin, leptin and liver enzymes, in addition to a higher concentration of lipids in plasma and accumulation of lipids in hepatocytes, when compared to groups C, CJ and HFD-J. In addition, the HFD group also presented higher concentrations of oxidative damage markers and reduced activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase, when compared to the other experimental groups. Additionally, the groups that received the smoothie, C-J and HFD-J, showed an increase in the activity of catalase and glutathione peroxidase in relation to groups C and HFD. Therefore, it was possible to conclude that the consumption of juçara smoothie is a potential alternative to help prevent NAFLD by improving the antioxidant activity and normalizing metabolic disorders caused by eating a high-fat diet.