ANTIOXIDATIVE AND HYPOLIPIDEMIC EFFECT OF PUERARIA TUBEROSA WATER EXTRACT (PTWE) IN RATS WITH HIGH FAT DIET INDUCED NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is chronic liver diseases ensuing from excessive fat accumulation in liver attributed to high dietary fat and carbohydrate and lower hepatic activity. It is associated with obesity and high BMI (body mass index). The excess carbohydrate-rich diet activates its conversion to TG (triglycerides), which gets accumulated in adipose and non-adipose tissues in the body. Insulin resistance also plays an important role in its pathogenesis. This work is focused on antioxidant and hypolipidemic potentials of water extract of Pueraria tuberosa (PTWE) in rats with high fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. NAFLD was induced in rats with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 100 days and grouped into HFD control, HFD+PT 50 mg/100 g bw, HFD+PT 100 mg/100 g bw. Blood triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminases (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminases (SGPT), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase activity and lipid peroxides (LPO) levels were assessed. The histological studies in the liver were done by H&E staining. PTWE shows the antioxidant properties by decreasing lipid peroxidation and increasing the activity of SOD and catalase enzymes. It also shows the hypolipidemic effect on NAFLD rats by decreasing the TG and cholesterol levels in serum. It also prevented the progression of liver damage, as evident by lowering the activity of SGOT and SGPT and decreased hepatocyte ballooning, inflammatory infiltration and microvascular steatosis. All the results demonstrate that PT can exhibit a therapeutic effect on NAFLD by way of through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypolipidemic potentials.