Effect of ethanolic extract of Capsicum chinense on inflammatory cytokines and hepatic steatosis in Wistar rats with diet-induced obesity
Effect of ethanolic extract of Capsicum chinense on inflammatory cytokines and hepatic steatosis in Wistar rats with diet-induced obesity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63622/RBS.2409Keywords:
AMPK, capsaicin, Capsicum chinense, hepatic steatosis, inflammation, metabolism, Obesity, TRPV1Abstract
Obesity induced by hypercaloric diets leads to metabolic alterations such as weight gain, fat accumulation, systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. This study evaluated the effects of capsaicin and an ethanolic extract of Capsicum chinense on these alterations in an experimental model of obese rats. The results showed that both treatments significantly reduced caloric intake, body weight, and retroperitoneal adipose tissue accumulation compared to the untreated obese control group, with the extract exhibiting a stronger effect. Histologically, the extract and capsaicin decreased hepatic steatosis and adipocyte size in retroperitoneal adipose tissue. In terms of inflammation, both treatments reduced hepatic TNF-α and IL-1β levels, with the extract demonstrating superior effects compared to pure capsaicin. The extract’s greater effect may be attributed to its diverse composition, including capsaicinoids and capsinoids, which activate TRPV1 receptors and promote the activation of the AMPK pathway, modulating inflammatory, oxidative, and metabolic processes. These findings suggest that the C. chinense extract could be a promising tool to mitigate metabolic alterations associated with obesity, such as hepatic steatosis and chronic inflammation. However, further research is needed to determine the specific contributions of each component in the extract and their potential synergistic interactions
References
Calder PC, Ahluwalia N, Brouns F, Buetler T, Clement K, Cunningham K, González-Gross M. 2017. Dietary factors and low-grade inflammation in relation to overweight and obesity. British Journal of Nutrition. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114511005460
Collins MD, Wasmund LM. 1997. Capsaicin: Structure, mechanisms of action, and applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408399709527756
Gibson PR, Nguyen QN, Tolhurst RJ. 2020. High-fat diet-induced NAFLD in rat models: Mechanisms and experimental applications. Journal of Experimental Biology.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.224108
Hariri N, Thibault L. 2010. High-fat diet-induced obesity in animal models. Nutrition Research Reviews. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422410000168
Hotamisligil GS. 2006. Inflammation and metabolic disorders. Nature. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05485
Hsu CL, Yen GC. 2007. Effects of capsaicin on inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in mouse macrophages. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jf071034j
Huang CC, Lin KJ, Lee LT, Chen CW. 2015. Capsiate ameliorates inflammation in mice via modulation of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jf504711y
Kang JH, Kim CS, Han IS. 2016. Effects of capsaicin on obesity and inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Journal of Medicinal Food. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2015.3654
Kang JH, Tsuyoshi G, Le Ngoc H, Kim HM, Tu TH, Noh HJ, Han IS. 2016. Capsaicin, a spicy component of hot pepper, attenuates obesity-induced hepatic steatosis by inhibiting PPARγ activity in high-fat diet-fed mice. International Journal of Obesity. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.22
Kawabata F, Inoue N, Masamoto Y, Matsumoto T, Kato M, Kimura T. 2013. Non-pungent capsaicin analogs (capsinoids) increase metabolic rate and enhance thermogenesis via gastrointestinal TRPV1 in mice. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.120960
Kim CS, Park WH, Park JY. 2015. Capsaicin reduces TNF-α expression in obesity-induced inflammation through inhibition of NF-κB pathway. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.04.002
Lee JY, Hwang WI, Lim ST. 2003. Anti-inflammatory effects of capsaicin: Inhibition of TNF-α expression in stimulated human macrophages. Journal of Medicinal Food. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/109662003772519924
Ludy MJ, Mattes RD, Hudak R. 2012. Spicing up a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal with capsaicin or spicy mustard: Effects on appetite and energy expenditure in healthy weight individuals. Physiology & Behavior. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.08.016
Luo XJ, Peng J, Li Y, Zhang Y, Liao H. 2011. Capsaicin ameliorates obesity-associated inflammation and metabolic disorders in obese rats fed with a high-fat diet. Journal of Food Science. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02265.x
Martínez LE, Pérez HJ, González FJ. 2020. Bioactive compounds in Capsicum chinense and their health-promoting properties. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-020-00815-1
Medina-Contreras JML, Colado-Velázquez J, Gómez-Viquez NL, Mailloux-Salinas P, Pérez-Torres I, Aranda-Fraustro A, Carvajal K, Bravo G. 2017. Effects of topical capsaicin combined with moderate exercise on insulin resistance, body weight and oxidative stress in hypoestrogenic obese rats. International Journal of Obesity. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.33
Medina‐Contreras JML, Mailloux‐Salinas P, Colado‐Velazquez J, Gómez‐Viquez NL, Velázquez‐Espejel R, Susunaga‐Notario AC, Arias‐Chávez DJ, Bravo G. 2020. Topical capsaicin cream with moderate exercise protects against hepatic steatosis, dyslipidemia and increased blood pressure in hypoestrogenic obese rats. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.10357
Ng, M., Fleming, T., Robinson, M., Thomson, B., Graetz, N., Margono, C., Mullany, E. C., Biryukov, S., Abbafati, C., Abera, S. F., Abraham, J. P., Abu-Rmeileh, N. M. E., Achoki, T., AlBuhairan, F. S., Alemu, Z. A., Alfonso, R., Ali, M. K., Ali, R., Guzman, N. A., … Gakidou, E. (2014, August 30). Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2013. Lancet (London, England). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4624264/ Ohyama K, Nogusa Y, Shinoda K. 2014. Thermogenic and metabolic impact of capsinoids in humans and mice. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.60.S59
Sánchez-Hidalgo M, Cárdeno A, Fernández-Bolaños JG. 2019. Capsaicinoids: Role in obesity and NAFLD prevention. Advances in Nutrition Research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-019-01994-8
Snitker S, Fujishima Y, Shen H, Ott S, Pi-Sunyer X, Furuhata Y, Takahashi M. 2009. Effects of novel capsinoid treatment on fatness and energy metabolism in humans: Possible pharmacogenetic implications. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2008.26764
Wang H, Meng Q, Guo J. 2021. Role of IL-1β and IL-6 in inflammation and NAFLD development. Frontiers in Endocrinology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.768900
Whiting S, Derbyshire E, Tiwari BK. 2012. Capsaicinoids and capsinoids: A potential role for weight management? Journal of Nutritional Science. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2012.2
Yoneshiro T, Aita S, Kawai Y, Iwanaga T, Saito M, Saito T. 2012. Nonpungent capsaicin analogs (capsinoids) increase energy expenditure through the activation of brown adipose tissue in humans. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.111.025536
Younossi ZM, Koenig AB, Abdelatif D, Fazel Y, Henry L, Wymer M. 2018. Global epidemiology of NAFLD—Meta-analytic assessment of prevalence, incidence, and outcomes. Hepatology. DIO: https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.28431
Zhai X, Zhang L, Chen X, Shi H, Zhong W, Kang Z. 2014. Activation of TRPV1 by dietary capsaicin ameliorates hepatic steatosis through the CaMKKβ/AMPK pathway. Metabolism. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2014.05.002
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Revista Bioc Scientia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
