Ficus thonningii stem bark extracts prevent high fructose diet induced increased plasma triglyceride concentration, hepatic steatosis and inflammation in growing Sprague-Dawley rats

Abstract

BACKGROUND : Ficus thonningii extracts exhibit hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and antioxidant activitiese investigated the potential of methanolic F. thonningii stem-bark extracts (MEFT) to protect growing Sprague-Dawley (SD) against high-fructose diet-induced Metabolic Derangements (MD) in a model mimicking childreenic diets.

METHODS : Eighty (40 males; 40 females) 21-days old SD rat pups were randomly allocated to and administered, for 8 weeks, five treatment regimens: 1-standard rat chow (SC)+water (PW), 2-SC+20% (w/v) fructose solution (FS), 3-SC+FS+fenofibrate at 100 mg/kg bwt/ day, 4-SC+FS+low dose MEFT (LD; 50 mg/kg bwt/day) and 5-SC+FS+high dose MEFT (HD; 500 mg/kg bwt/ day). Body weight, glucose load tolerance, fasting blood glucose and triglyceride, plasma insulin concentration, sensitivity to insulin, liver mass and fat content, steatosis and inflammation were determined.

RESULTS : Fructose had no effect on the rats’ growth, glucose and insulin concentration, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (P>0.05) but increased triglycerides in females; induced hepatic microsteatosis and inflammation in both sexes but macrosteatosis in females (P<0.05). In females, MEFT prevented fructose- induced plasma triglyceride increase. Low dose MEFT increased liver lipid content in females (P<0.05). The MEFT protected the rats against hepatic steatosis and inflammation but fenofibrate protected against hepatic microsteatosis.

CONCLUSION : MEFT can d as prxis against dietary fructose-induced elements of MD but caution musaken as low dose MEFT increases hepatic lipid acc in females predisposing to fatty liver disease.