Chestnut (Castanea crenata) inner shell extract inhibits development of hepatic steatosis in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet

The effects of chestnut inner shell extract (CISE) on hepatic steatosis and lipid metabolism in mice fed high-fat diet (HFD) were evaluated. Hepatic triacylglycerol and plasma lipid levels decreased significantly in CISE-administered mice compared to control group. Relative mRNA expression levels for lipogenic genes SREBP-1c, FAS, ACCs, ACAT, and HMG-CoA were significantly decreased in CISE-administered mice (P < 0.05). CISE suppressed FAS and HMG-CoA reductase activity and increased CPT activity. To determine the active compound of CISE, the fractionation of CISE have conducted and resulted in the isolation of scoparone and scopoletin, as main compounds contained in CISE. Based on these results, we speculate that the inhibitory effect on hepatic steatosis of CISE containing scoparone and scopoletin may be the result of suppression of lipid synthesis and the acceleration of fatty acid oxidation in mice fed HFD, suggesting that CISE may be beneficial in preventing hepatic steatosis.