Protective effects of Crocin on hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and lipid profile in an animal model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
7 affiliations
- 1Student Research Committee, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
- 2Department of Paracilinic, Faculty of Medicine, Khatam Al-Nabieen University, Kabul, Afghanistan
- 3Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
- 4Research Center of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
- 5Departments of Physiology, School of Medicine, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
- 6Neuroscience Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
- 7Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
Abstract
Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disorder worldwide. This study aims to investigate the effects of crocin on lipid profile, hepatic lipid accumulation, and antioxidant status in a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver induced by a high-fat diet. Materials and methods: Forty-two male Wistar rats were divided into six groups, each containing seven rats. Fatty liver was induced by feeding a high-fat diet for eight weeks. Subsequently, the treatment groups received intraperitoneal crocin for four weeks. The groups were then evaluated for changes in serum lipid profiles, liver function enzymes in serum, oxidative stress biomarkers and histopathological alterations in liver tissue. Results: High-fat diet feeding resulted in significant hepatic lipid accumulation, elevated serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase levels, increased hepatic malondialdehyde and nitrite concentrations, and impaired antioxidant enzyme activities. Histological analysis demonstrated hepatocellular steatosis, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatic structural alterations. Crocin treatment significantly attenuated lipid accumulation, normalized serum liver enzyme levels, reduced oxidative stress markers, and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities. Histopathological evaluation further confirmed marked improvement in liver tissue morphology. Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrate that Crocin exerts protective effects against NAFLD, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for diet-induced fatty liver disease.
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BibTeX
@article{rezayee2026protective,
title = {{Protective effects of Crocin on hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and lipid profile in an animal model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease}},
author = {Hossain Rezayee and Mohammad Ali Fahmidehkar and Farimah Beheshti and Mohsen Ghoryani and Yaser Yousefpoor and Dawood Hossaini and Davod Ilbeigi},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357768},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357768},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Protective effects of Crocin on hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and lipid profile in an animal model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
AU - Hossain Rezayee
AU - Mohammad Ali Fahmidehkar
AU - Farimah Beheshti
AU - Mohsen Ghoryani
AU - Yaser Yousefpoor
AU - Dawood Hossaini
AU - Davod Ilbeigi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357768
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357768
AB - Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disorder worldwide. This study aims to investigate the effects of crocin on lipid profile, hepatic lipid accumulation, and antioxidant status in a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver induced by a high-fat diet. Materials and methods: Forty-two male Wistar rats were divided into six groups, each containing seven rats. Fatty liver was induced by feeding a high-fat diet for eight weeks. Subsequently, the treatment groups received intraperitoneal crocin for four weeks. The groups were then evaluated for changes in serum lipid profiles, liver function enzymes in serum, oxidative stress biomarkers and histopathological alterations in liver tissue. Results: High-fat diet feeding resulted in significant hepatic lipid accumulation, elevated serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase levels, increased hepatic malondialdehyde and nitrite concentrations, and impaired antioxidant enzyme activities. Histological analysis demonstrated hepatocellular steatosis, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatic structural alterations. Crocin treatment significantly attenuated lipid accumulation, normalized serum liver enzyme levels, reduced oxidative stress markers, and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities. Histopathological evaluation further confirmed marked improvement in liver tissue morphology. Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrate that Crocin exerts protective effects against NAFLD, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for diet-induced fatty liver disease.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -