Effect of Persimmon Extracts on High-Fat Diet-Induced Lipid Accumulation and Liver Damage

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the effects of persimmon (Diospyros kaki) on a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced lipid accumulation and lipotoxicity and in the liver. The persimmon extract (DKE) was orally administered at 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight with an HFD for 8 weeks in mice. The weight gain, including the weight of liver and adipose tissues, was suppressed in the DKE groups compared with the HFD group. In addition, improved glucose tolerance was observed in the DKE groups. The results of serum biomarkers indicate that DKE could inhibit liver injury and dyslipidemia. In addition, it was confirmed that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction were improved in the DKE groups. DKE suppressed lipid accumulation by inhibiting AMPK phosphorylation in the liver. In addition, with the inhibition of JNK phosphorylation by DKE, insulin resistance, inflammation, and apoptosis were suppressed. The metabolite analysis of liver tissue using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC Q-TOF/MS) showed that DKE affected metabolite composition in the liver tissue. In particular, it was confirmed that DKE was involved in liver lipid metabolism. DKE reduced phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and lysophosphatidylcholines (lysoPCs), and their reduction was closely related to the reduction of lipotoxicity. ? 2022 The Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition.