Introduction

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is now recognized as the most common type of liver disease.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of Crocin on rat high-fat, diet-induced hepatic steatosis model.

Methods

Male rats were given either standard diet as control, high-fat diet for induction of hepatic steatosis and high-fat diet plus Crocin through gavage at different doses (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day) for protection of liver steatosis, at a period of 4 weeks in different experimental groups and compared considering serum lipid profile, serum biomarkers of liver tissue injury, and hepatic antioxidant activity. Serum levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, HDL, ALT, AST, ALP, MDA and GSH content of liver and enzymatic activities of GPx, SOD and CAT in liver tissue were measured. Finally, the biochemical findings were matched with histopathological verifications.

Results

After 4 weeks, the high-fat diet caused deleterious metabolic effects, including hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia and liver dysfunction. Rats fed the high-fat diet alone showed increased activities of hepatocellular enzymes in plasma, significant decline in antioxidants and elevated lipid peroxidation indices in liver. Crocin treatment significantly reduced elevated markers of liver tissue injury and MDA, and brought back the liver antioxidants and the over-accumulation lipids in serum towards normal. Histopathology of the liver confirmed the changes induced by high-fat diet and the heptoprotective effect of Crocin.

Conclusions

Crocin exerts protective effects against hepatic steatosis in rats fed with high-fat diet, possibly through its antioxidant actions.