Herbal and Alternative Remedies for Diabetes and Endocrine Disorders

Biography

Biography: Layanne C C Arauj

Abstract

The non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinical manifestation of metabolic syndrome. With the worldwide increase in obesity, there is also a burden of NAFLD that is estimated in the range of 20-30%. NAFLD includes the benign hepatic steatosis and the hepatic steatosis associated with inflammatory infiltrates, the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH may lead to liver cirrhosis and to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and about 10 to 20% of people with NAFLD develop NASH. Therefore, we investigated the effect of the herbal extract Uncaria tomentosa (Ut) (50 mg/kg, crude extract, for 5 consecutive days) on the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) of the diet-induced obese (DIO) and genetically obese (ob/ob) mice. Both obese mice exhibited lipid droplets in the liver. The DIO mice had macro vesicular steatosis, whereas the ob/ob mice exhibited micro vesicular steatosis. The Ut treatment induced 35% and 20% reduction in the number of lipid droplets in the both obese animals, respectively. The Ut treatment reduced the serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 by 25% and by 40%, in the liver of DIO and of ob/ob mice respectively. Furthermore, the Ut treatment improved the inflammatory balance in the liver of both obese animals. There were reduced pro-inflammatory index (mRNA IL-1b/IL-10) to approximately 20% and decreased the pro-macrophage activation (mRNA F4/80/Arginase-1) to 12% in the DIO mice and reduced to 39% the pro-macrophage activation in the ob/ob mice compared to respective vehicle controls. Results herein reported, prompted to the conclusion that Uncaria tomentosa not only improves insulin sensitivity but also transforms NASH to a benign hepatic steatosis in two distinct models of obese mice. These effects are associated with a reduction in inflammatory conditions and decreased liver steatosis (steatohepatitis).