Synergistic effects of black ginseng and aged garlic extracts for the amelioration of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in mice

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease that can lead to carcinoma, cirrhosis, and death. Since no approved medications are available, dietary interventions that include bioactive compounds have been recommended. This study investigated the effects of black ginseng extracts (BGE) and aged black garlic extracts (AGE) on high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced obese mice. Micrograph of liver tissues of mice fed with BGE and AGE showed less lipid droplets. The BGE and AGE supplements individually and in combination lowered the marker enzymes, aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels indicating their hepatoprotective effects. Compared to the plants extracts alone, the combination of the extracts resulted in lower total cholesterol (TC) and low‐density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL‐C), which are risk markers for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Diets with the combination of BGE and AGE supplements had higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activities, and lower malondialdehyde indicating the synergistic effects of the extracts. Irrespective of the diet type, all treated groups showed lower tumor necrosis factor (TNF‐α) values as compared to HFD, which indicated overall immunomodulatory effect of both extracts. Therefore, the innovative formulation formed by the combination of BGE and AGE can provide hepatoprotective effects via modulating glycometabolism, lipometabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation in mice.

Black Garlic and Its Bioactive Compounds on Human Health Diseases: A Review

“…Shin et al [27] reported that the administration of aged black garlic extract lowered the AST and ALT levels in the liver of Sprague-Dawley rats treated with CCl 4 and D-galactosamine, consequently protecting the liver. The hepatoprotective effects of fermented garlic extract were also confirmed in the two different studies carried out by Jiang et al [114] and Chung et al [26], where the administration of fermented BG extract into C57BL/6 mice modulated glycometabolism, lipometabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Therefore, BG may be a promising agent to prevent oxidative stress and cholesterol-related liver disorders, by decreasing the levels of ALT, AST, ALP, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and malondialdehyde, increasing SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, GPx, and GR.…”

“…Few garlic pretreatments can damage or destroy the garlic's cell struct lowing immediate reactions between the cell components and external elements the processing of fresh garlic to BG. The temperature and relative humidity of t treatment during BG's production are the critical variables among the paramete ALT, AST, TC, LDL-C, MDA [114] Black garlic (BG)…”

Herbal Preparations Used Against Fatty Liver Disease: Systematic Review

“…Also, high antioxidant parameters such as glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities were observed with the A. sativum bulb extract. 9 In addition, in a clinical study with the dry powder of A. sativum bulbs, it was found to be quite effective against fatty liver. In this previous study, a decrease in body mass was observed in the garlic powder group.…”

Black ginseng protects against Western diet‐induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by modulating the TLR4/NF‐κB signaling pathway in mice

“…BG supplementation in the diet could also significantly lower the levels of AST and ALT, and reduce the content of hepatic lipid droplets of obese mice fed with a high-fat diet (Jiang et al, 2021).…”

“…Moreover, BG extract could effectively reduce the high‐fat diet‐induced increase in serum total cholesterol (T‐CHO) and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) in mice, and the expression of crucial lipogenesis genes (Saba et al, 2016). BG supplementation in the diet could also significantly lower the levels of AST and ALT, and reduce the content of hepatic lipid droplets of obese mice fed with a high‐fat diet (Jiang et al, 2021).…”