In the present research, the effect of clove essential oil (CO) and its major constituent, eugenol, formulated in water-based microemulsions, was studied on fatty liver and dyslipidemia in high-fructose-fed rats. Plasma and liver lipids, oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarker, and liver function were the assessed criteria. CO dispersed in water as conventional cloudy emulsion was also subjected to the same biological evaluations for comparison with the microemulsified form of this oil. Results showed that the particle size of CO microemulsion (COM) and eugenol microemulsion (EM) was 8.0 nm and 8.9 nm, respectively. Excess dilution and incubation of these microemulsions in 1.2 N HCl, that mimic stomach juice (without lipase), for 5 hours at 37 °C lead to the establishment of second population of larger particles with average diameter>100.0 nm. Biological evaluation revealed that rats of high fructose control group exhibited significant dyslipidemia, high plasma tumor necrosis factor-α, and elevated malondialdehyde. The same group of rats showed significant high liver total fat, triglycerides and cholesterol, and liver dysfunction compared to control normal rats fed balanced diet. Daily oral administration of CO conventional emulsion, COM, and EM produced significant improvement of all studied parameters. No significant change in all biochemical parameters was noticed when the groups given the different formulations were compared with each other. The study concluded that administration of CO conventional emulsion, COM, or EM produced significant improvement in fatty liver and dyslipidemia with consequent expected protection from cardiovascular diseases and other complications of fatty liver. Formulation of CO in microemulsion having particle size ∼ 8.0 nm did not enhance the protective effect compared with the same dose of CO dispersed in water as conventional macroemulsion, probably due to the ease of absorption of these bioactives in their native states. However, formulation in microemulsion provides a delivery system for oral administration of CO or eugenol in homogeneous, water-based, and thermodynamically stable dosage form during storage.

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BackgroundNatural anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals may be useful in suppressing the incessant aggravation of rheumatoid arthritis. Chia seeds as a natural source of antioxidants help prevent several oxidative stress-mediated diseases. The current study was focused on arthritis combined with obesity and evaluated the validation of oil and mucilage extracted from chia seeds as anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals in obese and non-obese adjuvant arthritic rat model.MethodsChia seeds oil was extracted by pressing method, whereas the mucilage was extracted using water (50 °C for 30 min). Oil and freeze-dried mucilage were tested for their anti-inflammatory effects using 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats. Obesity was developed in rats after 8 weeks of feeding on high-fat high-sucrose diet; on the first day of the ninth week, chia seeds oil and mucilage were administrated for 21 days, and arthritis was induced either in obese or non-obese rats via the injection with Freund’s complete adjuvant. Swelling of the paw was then measured. Plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), lipid profile, liver and kidney functions, serum lipid peroxidation, and erythrocyte catalase activity were determined.ResultsResults emphasized that arthritis with obesity resulted in the elevation of the swelling of the paw, TNF-α, dyslipidemia, and oxidative stress. Chia seeds oil and mucilage, more promisingly the oil, attenuated TNF-α and the swelling of the paw, improved lipid profile, and diminished the oxidative stress both in obese and non-obese arthritic rats.ConclusionsResults showed that chia seeds oil and mucilage exhibited anti-inflammatory effects against adjuvant-induced arthritis in obese and non-obese rats.

Key words: fatty liver, non-alcoholic fatty liver with infl ammation, fructose, rice bran oil, pumpkin seed oil Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are increasing in adults and are likely to be increasing in children. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the protective effect of rice bran oil and pumpkin seed oil against high fructose diet (HFD) inducing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The results showed signifi cant elevation of plasma total and direct bilirubin, transaminases activities, total cholesterol (T-Ch), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-Ch), tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) and malondialdehyde (MDA) with signifi cant increase in liver TG, T-Ch and MDA along with signifi cant reduction in plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Ch) and increase in T-Ch/HDL-Ch in rats fed HFD compared to rats fed on balanced diet. Histopathology of liver of rats fed on HFD confi rmed the induction of NASH. Rice bran oil and pumpkin seed oil produced improvement in the biochemical parameters with different degrees. Pumpkin seed oil reversed all histopathological changes that occur in liver tissue which became comparable to normal in some rats. In conclusion, rats fed high fructose diet are a good model for studying NASH. Rice bran oil and pumpkin seed oil afford hepato protection against NASH in rat model.

The main purpose of the present research was to study the protective effect of Nigella sativa crude oils (NCO) extracted from plain and g-irradiated seeds towards inflammatory fatty liver (steatohepatitis). The protective effect of the oils was tested during induction of inflammatory fatty liver in rats through feeding high fructose diet. Biochemical analyses including plasma lipids, tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and liver fat and liver function tests were carried out to determine the efficiency of the oils. Results showed that fatty liver control group exhibited significant dyslipidemia, high plasma TNF-a and MDA along with significant high liver triglycerides and cholesterol and liver dysfunction compared to control normal. Oral administration of NCO produced significant improvement of all parameters. No significant change in all biochemical parameters was noticed when the group given g-irradiated NCO was compared with that given the plain oil. Lipid analysis by GC showed that linoleic and oleic where the most abundant fatty acids constituting NCO. Volatile oils' contents were 0.1 wt% of NCO; p-cymene and thymoquinone being the major constituents. Administration of NCO from plain or g-irradiated seeds produced similar and significant, but not complete, prevention of inflammatory fatty liver.Practical applications: This investigation revealed that the crude oil of Nigella sativa seed may potentially be used as dietary supplement for prevention of inflammatory fatty liver. The study also showed the chemical composition of the fixed and volatile oil fractions of the Egyptian N. sativa seeds that may be useful for further studies.