The dietary supplementation with brown seaweeds and chromium picolinate improves NAFLD and NASH by modulating lipid metabolism and inflammation

Introduction According to preclinical and clinical evidence, brown seaweeds improve liver function and reduce metabolic-associated risk factors, by virtue of the high amounts of bioactive compounds. Moreover, chromium, an essential mineral, can improve glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance. Aim to assess the effect of supplementation with brown seaweed extracts and chromium picolinate on hepatic steatosis of different severities in rat models of NAFLD and NASH. Materials and Methods NAFLD or NASH were induced in Sprague-Dawley male rats by high fructose-high fat diet (HFHFD) administration for 12 and 18 weeks, respectively. Rats were treated by daily gavage with a nutraceutical formulation (7.5 mg/kg·bw) containing water extracts of two brown seaweeds (Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus) and chromium picolinate or vehicle. After sacrifice, liver steatosis was assessed by the ORO staining. mRNA levels of hepatic DGAT1, DGAT2, SREBP-1, FASN and PLIN-2 were assessed by qPCR; myeloperoxidase (MPO) hepatic expression was evaluated by IHC. Plasma inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA. Results The supplementation with algal extract and chromium picolinate led to a significant drop of hepatic fat in both models (p<0.01 vs. vehicle-treated animals), accompanied by a reduction in plasma inflammatory cytokines (IL6, TNFa and C reactive protein), and in hepatic MPO expression. Furthermore, a significant reduction of the mRNA expression of FASN, DGAT1 and 2, SREBP-1 and the lipid transporter perilipin-2, was observed in both treated NAFLD and NASH rats in comparison to vehicle-treated ones. Conclusions The supplementation with brown seaweed extracts and chromium picolinate reduces hepatic steatosis and inflammation, thus representing a promising therapeutic option for NAFLD and NASH, valuable of further clinical investigations.