<i>Citrullus mucosospermus</i> Extract Exerts Protective Effects against Methionine- and Choline-Deficient Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in Mice
Sun Young Park,
Ji Eun Kim,
He Mi Kang,
Ki Ho Park,
Byoung Il Je,
Ki Won Lee,
Dae Youn Hwang,
Young Whan Choi
Affiliations
Sun Young Park
Institute of Nano-Bio Convergence, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Ji Eun Kim
Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program)/Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute/Laboratory Animals Resources Center, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea
He Mi Kang
Department of Horticultural Bioscience/Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea
Ki Ho Park
Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program)/Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute/Laboratory Animals Resources Center, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea
Byoung Il Je
Department of Horticultural Bioscience/Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea
Ki Won Lee
Natural Products Convergence R&D Division, Kwangdong Pharm. Co., Ltd., Seoul 08381, Republic of Korea
Dae Youn Hwang
Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program)/Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute/Laboratory Animals Resources Center, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea
Young Whan Choi
Department of Horticultural Bioscience/Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in exploring the potential therapeutic advantages of Citrullus mucosospermus extracts (CME) for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of CME on NASH using a mice model. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to identify cucurbitacin E and cucurbitacin E-2-O-glucoside from the CME. Although CME did not significantly alter the serum lipid levels in methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) mice, it demonstrated a protective effect against MCD diet-induced liver damage. CME reduced histological markers, reduced alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartame transaminase (AST) levels, and modulated key NASH-related genes, including C/EBPα, PPARγ, Fas, and aP2. In addition, CME was found to restore hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) activity, both crucial for fat catabolism, and reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, CME demonstrated the potential to mitigate oxidative stress by maintaining or enhancing the activation and expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), both pivotal players in antioxidant defense mechanisms. These findings underscore the promising therapeutic potential of CME in ameliorating liver damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress associated with NASH.
