Mediterranean Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) Byssus Ameliorates Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in High-Fat High-Sucrose-Fed Rats by Reinforcing Antioxidant Defenses and Attenuating Systemic Inflammation
- 1Laboratory of Clinical and Metabolic Nutrition (LNCM), Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Oran 31100, Algeria
- 2Laboratory of Physiology, Physiopathology and Biochemistry of Nutrition, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, Earth and Universe Sciences, University Abou-Bekr Belkaïd, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria
Abstract
Byproducts of marine invertebrate-based industries represent an underexplored reservoir of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. This study investigated the efficacy of Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) byssus against diet-induced metabolic syndrome, with emphasis on the mechanisms of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. To establish metabolic dysregulation, 24 male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat, high-sucrose diet for 12 weeks, followed by a 28-day intervention with 12% byssus supplementation. Byssus significantly corrected the dyslipidemic profile, reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol while elevating the cardioprotective high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P<0.001). Glycemic control improved significantly, with reductions in fasting and postprandial glucose (P<0.05), accompanied by a favorable downward trend in glycated hemoglobin, while circulating insulin levels remained stable throughout the intervention. Hepatocellular injury was alleviated, as reflected by significant decreases in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities (P<0.001). These benefits were accompanied by a broad reinforcement of endogenous antioxidant defenses, including a notable upregulation of superoxide dismutase across serum, erythrocytes, and liver, with a significant increase observed at the hepatic level (P<0.05), and robust restoration of hepatic catalase (P<0.01) and glutathione reductase (P<0.001) activities compared to the untreated HFHS group, alongside a substantial recovery of paraoxonase-1 arylesterase activity that approached, though did not fully reach, control levels (P<0.001). Concurrently, tumor necrosis factor-α was significantly reduced (P<0.01), alongside a favorable decreasing trend in interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein, reflecting the suppression of chronic inflammation associated with metabolic syndrome. These findings suggest that M. galloprovincialis byssus exerts marked hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, and hepatoprotective influence, potentially associated with the reinforcement of redox homeostasis and attenuation of systemic inflammation, supporting its potential as a marine-derived functional ingredient for the adjunctive management of metabolic syndrome.
Related
- Sanguinarine ameliorates rheumatoid arthritis by activating the Hippo-YAP/TAZ pathway to induce apoptosis and suppress inflammation in fibroblast-like synoviocytes
- Beyond Antioxidant Scavenging: Mediterranean Diet, Redox-Metabolic Integration, and Exercise Adaptation.
- β-glucosidase-mediated hydrolysis of Ophiocordyceps polysaccharides enhances antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities and ameliorates intestinal barrier function to maintain gut homeostasis
- Roxadustat ameliorates bone microarchitectural deterioration in CKD-MBD rats in association with mitigated systemic micro-inflammation and restored FGF23–Wnt/β-catenin signaling
- Associations of Mediterranean Diet Adherence, Dietary Glycemic Index, and Antioxidant Intake With Acne Vulgaris: A Case–Control Study in Young Adults
BibTeX
@article{hassani2026mediterranean,
title = {{Mediterranean Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) Byssus Ameliorates Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in High-Fat High-Sucrose-Fed Rats by Reinforcing Antioxidant Defenses and Attenuating Systemic Inflammation}},
author = {Hichem Hassani and Sabrine Louala and Salim Habi},
journal = {Preventive Nutrition and Food Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3746/pnf.2026.069},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2026.069},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mediterranean Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) Byssus Ameliorates Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in High-Fat High-Sucrose-Fed Rats by Reinforcing Antioxidant Defenses and Attenuating Systemic Inflammation
AU - Hichem Hassani
AU - Sabrine Louala
AU - Salim Habi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
DO - 10.3746/pnf.2026.069
UR - https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2026.069
AB - Byproducts of marine invertebrate-based industries represent an underexplored reservoir of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. This study investigated the efficacy of Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) byssus against diet-induced metabolic syndrome, with emphasis on the mechanisms of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. To establish metabolic dysregulation, 24 male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat, high-sucrose diet for 12 weeks, followed by a 28-day intervention with 12% byssus supplementation. Byssus significantly corrected the dyslipidemic profile, reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol while elevating the cardioprotective high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P<0.001). Glycemic control improved significantly, with reductions in fasting and postprandial glucose (P<0.05), accompanied by a favorable downward trend in glycated hemoglobin, while circulating insulin levels remained stable throughout the intervention. Hepatocellular injury was alleviated, as reflected by significant decreases in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities (P<0.001). These benefits were accompanied by a broad reinforcement of endogenous antioxidant defenses, including a notable upregulation of superoxide dismutase across serum, erythrocytes, and liver, with a significant increase observed at the hepatic level (P<0.05), and robust restoration of hepatic catalase (P<0.01) and glutathione reductase (P<0.001) activities compared to the untreated HFHS group, alongside a substantial recovery of paraoxonase-1 arylesterase activity that approached, though did not fully reach, control levels (P<0.001). Concurrently, tumor necrosis factor-α was significantly reduced (P<0.01), alongside a favorable decreasing trend in interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein, reflecting the suppression of chronic inflammation associated with metabolic syndrome. These findings suggest that M. galloprovincialis byssus exerts marked hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, and hepatoprotective influence, potentially associated with the reinforcement of redox homeostasis and attenuation of systemic inflammation, supporting its potential as a marine-derived functional ingredient for the adjunctive management of metabolic syndrome.
SN - 2287-1098
SN - 2287-8602
ER -