Extracts of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruits improve liver steatosis and injury in mice by preventing lipid accumulation and cell death

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry Vol. 83; no. 11; pp. 2110 - 2120
• Main Authors: Haga, Sanae, YiMin, Yamaki, Hikari, Jin, Shigeki, Sogon, Tetsuya, Morita, Naoki, Ozaki, Michitaka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02-11-2019; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - drug effects; Animals; Antioxidants - metabolism; Autophagy - drug effects; Bilberry fruits; Cell Line; fatty liver; Fruit - chemistry; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Lipid Metabolism - drug effects; Liver - drug effects; Liver - injuries; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; liver injury; Mice; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - drug therapy; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - metabolism; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - pathology; non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Vaccinium myrtillus; Vaccinium myrtillus - chemistry; liver injury; fatty liver; Bilberry fruits; non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2019.1634514

Bilberry has been reported to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We studied the effect of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruits extracts (BEs) on the pathogenesis caused by lipid accumulation in fatty liver and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). 5 μg/ml of BEs was enough to suppress lipid accumulation in the fatty liver model of the mouse hepatic AML12 cells. BEs increased cell viability and anti-oxidant capacity, presumably by activating (phosphorylating) Akt/STAT3 and inducing MnSOD/catalase. BEs also significantly reduced Rubicon and induced p62/SQSTM1, possibly contributing to reduce cellular lipids (lipophagy). When the mice were fed supplemented with BEs (5% or 10%, w/w), hepatic steatosis, injury, and hypercholesterolemia/hyperglycemia were significantly improved. Furthermore, histological and cytokine studies indicated that BEs possibly suppress hepatic inflammation (hepatitis) and fibrosis. Therefore, BEs improved liver steatosis and injury, and potentially suppress fibrosis by suppressing inflammatory response, which therefore may prevent the progression of fatty liver to NASH.
Bilberry fruits extracts suppressed hepatocyte injury caused by early fat accumulation. Therefore, bilberry is expected to be a liver-friendly food.