Salvia hispanica L. (chia) seed ameliorates liver injury and oxidative stress by modulating NrF2 and NFκB expression.

VEGA JOUBERT M.B; INGARAMO P.; OLIVA M.E.; D'ALESSANDRO M.E.

Food & Function

Royal Society of Chemistry

Año: 2022

2042-6496

The aim of this study was to analyze the liver injury and oxidative stress in an experimental model of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) induced by chronic administration of a sucrose-rich diet (SRD) and to evaluate the effects of chia seed as therapeutic strategy. Male Wistar rats were fed with a reference diet (RD) -6 months- or a SRD -3 months-. Then, the last group was randomly divided into two subgroups. One subgroup continued receiving the SRD up to 6 months and the other was fed with a SRD where whole chia seed was incorporated as source of dietary fat for the next 3 months (SRD+CHIA). Results showed that rats fed a SRD for a long period of time develop dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hepatic lipid accumulation, liver injury, hepatic lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Hepatic NrF2 expression was significantly decreased. In addition, a significant increase in hepatic NFkB p65 expression and a positive correlation of this with plasma TNFα levels was found. The administration of chia seed for 3 months reversed dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, lipid accumulation, liver injury, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. In the liver tissue, NrF2 expression was normalized and NFkB p65 expression was decreased and this last one was associated with an decrease in plasma TNFα levels. The present study showed new aspects of liver damage, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in dyslipidemic insulin resistant rats chronically fed a sucrose-rich diet. However, we demonstrated new properties and molecular mechanisms associated with the beneficial anti-oxidant effects of chia seed consumption.