Inhibitory Effect of Betanin From Hylocereus ocamponis Against Steatohepatitis in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

Abstract

Betanin is a phytocompound whose effect in steatohepatitis has not yet been tested. Betanin was extracted from the fruits of Hylocereus ocamponis, and its effects were evaluated in a mice model for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Six-week-old male BALB/c mice fed with a high-fat diet received 9.6 mg of betanin per day during 40 days. Body, liver, and epididymal fat pad weights and the levels of blood serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins, alanine aminotransferase, blood nitrogen urea, creatinine, and total antioxidant capacity were measured. Hepatosteatosis and inflammatory infiltration were categorized, and the relative cell area of hepatocytes was determined. Betanin inhibited the inflammatory infiltration of the liver (P = 4.000 × 10−6) and the necrosis of hepatocytes (P = 9.634 × 10−7); it also produced a predominance of microvesicular steatosis (P = 9.634 × 10−7), decreased epididymal fat pad weight (P = 8.250 × 10−4), and increased blood serum total cholesterol (P = 0.011). Betanin is a promising compound for fatty liver, steatohepatitis, and chronic liver disease.