| Abstract: | Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with the increased accumulation of hepatocellular lipids. Although Kombucha tea (KT) has emerged as a substance protecting the liver from damage, the effects of KT in NAFLD remain unclear. Hence, we investigated whether KT influenced hepatic steatosis. Db/db mice were fed either control or methionine/choline-deficient (MCD) diets for 4 weeks. The MCD diet group was treated with KT or water for 3 weeks. KT treatment alleviated macrovesicular steatosis compared to the MCD-fed group. The levels of triglyceride, ALT, and AST also decreased in the KT+MCD-treated db/db mice. RNA expression in the MCD+KT group showed reduced triglyceride synthesis and uptake of fatty acids. Immunostaining and western blot assays for active caspase-3 demonstrated a lower level of apoptosis in the MCD+KT than in the MCD group. These results demonstrate that KT attenuated lipid accumulation and protected the liver from damage, promoting liver restoration in mice. |
