Ellagic acid attenuates high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome in rats

Ellagic acid attenuates high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome in rats

Background: Fruits and nuts may prevent or reverse common human health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension; together, these conditions are referred to
as metabolic syndrome, an increasing problem. This study
has investigated the responses to ellagic acid, present in
many fruits and nuts, in a diet-induced rat model of metabolic syndrome.
Methods: Eight-to nine-week-old male Wistar rats were
divided into four groups for 16-week feeding with cornstarch
diet (C), cornstarch diet supplemented with ellagic acid (CE), high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (H) and high carbohydrate, high-fat diet supplemented with ellagic acid
(HE). CE and HE rats were given 0.8 g/kg ellagic acid in
food from week 8 to 16 only. At the end of 16 weeks,
cardiovascular, hepatic and metabolic parameters along
with protein levels of Nrf2, NF-jB and CPT1 in the heart
and the liver were characterised.
Results: High-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats developed
cardiovascular remodelling, impaired ventricular function, impaired glucose tolerance, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with increased protein levels of NF-jB and decreased protein levels of Nrf2 and CPT1 in the heart and
the liver. Ellagic acid attenuated these diet-induced
symptoms of metabolic syndrome with normalisation of
protein levels of Nrf2, NF-jB and CPT1.
Conclusions: Ellagic acid derived from nuts and fruits
such as raspberries and pomegranates may provide a useful
dietary supplement to decrease the characteristic changes
in metabolism and in cardiac and hepatic structure and
function induced by a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet by
suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation.

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