Hesperidin attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation in mice fed high-fat diet and oleic acid induced HepG2 via AMPK activation

Aims: In recent years, more and more people are suffering from lifestyle-related disease such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) because of unhealthy diet and lack of physical exercise. Hesperidin (HDN) is a flavonoid found in high concentrations in citrus fruits. In this study, we investigated the effect of HDN on NAFLD, providing information to develop dietary supplements for NAFLD treatment and prevention. Materials and methods: Testing kits, hematoxylin-eosin staining, oil red O staining, western blot, immunofluorescence, cck-8 assay, and blood biochemical analysis were carried out during the experiments in vivo and in vitro. Key findings: The current study revealed that HDN significantly reduced liver index and serum lipid levels, and protected against liver steatosis and injury induced by HFD. In addition, HDN suppressed oil acid induced intracellular lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. Moreover, HDN increased the expression level of pAMPK and downregulated SREBP-1C, ACC and FAS expression in vivo and in vitro. Significance: In summary, HDN attenuates lipid accumulation in vivo and in vitro via AMPK activation, suggesting that HDN may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for treating NAFLD.