Hypolipidaemic and hepatoprotective effects of ethanolic and aqueous extracts from Asparagus officinalis L. by-products in mice fed a high-fat diet.
BACKGROUND
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) by-products, i.e. the parts of the spears discarded during industrial processing, might have potential use as food supplements for their therapeutic effects. In this study the hypolipidaemic and hepatoprotective effects of ethanolic (EEA) and aqueous (AEA) extracts from asparagus by-products were evaluated in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD).


RESULTS
Continuous HFD feeding caused obvious hyperlipidaemia and liver damage in mice. However, both EEA and AEA significantly decreased the levels of body weight gain, serum total cholesterol and serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in hyperlipidaemic mice when administered at a daily dose of 200 mg kg(-1) for 8 weeks. Also, serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were evidently increased in the AEA-treated group. Moreover, both EEA and AEA dramatically decreased the activities of alanine and aspartate transaminases in serum. Finally, superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant capacity were increased and malondialdehyde level and the distribution of lipid droplets decreased in liver cells of both EEA- and AEA-treated mice.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study suggest that both EEA and AEA have strong hypolipidaemic and hepatoprotective properties and could be used as supplements in healthcare foods and drugs or in combination with other hypolipidaemic drugs.
Zhu
Xinglei
X
School of Life Science, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshang Road, Shanghai 200062, China.
Zhang
Wen
W
Zhao
Jingjing
J
Wang
Jiesi
J
Qu
Weijing
W
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D027761:Asparagus Plant / Q000737:chemistry*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
D000975:Antioxidants; D004041:Dietary Fats; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002784:Cholesterol; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase