Indole-3-carbinol and chlorogenic acid combination modulates gut microbiome and attenuates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in a murine model

• Published in: Food research international 2023-12, Vol.174 (Pt 1), p.113513-113513, Article 113513
• Main Authors: Bacil, Gabriel P., Romualdo, Guilherme R., Rodrigues, Josias, Barbisan, Luís F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Brassicaceae vegetables; Chlorogenic acid; Chlorogenic Acid - pharmacology; Disease Models, Animal; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; indole-3-carbinol; Mice; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - drug therapy; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - prevention & control; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113513

Assessment of the effects of Brassicaceae bioactive compounds indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) on a murine model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Images were acquired from biorender.com and smart.servier.com. [Display omitted] •Populational relevant doses of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) (5/125 mg/Kg of body weight, 5x/week) alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by modulating the gut-liver axis.•Only the combination I3C + CGA reduced the number of hepatic CD68- cells and cleaved caspase-3 (C3C)-positive hepatocytes, MDA levels, and subsequent hepatic fibrosis.•The combination I3C + CGA was able to restore the relative abundance of Alistipes, Allobaculum, Bacteroides, and Odoribacter bacteria genera. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting almost 32% of the population and ranging from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Recent findings indicate that the fast-growing prevalence of NAFLD might be linked to adherence to a Westernized diet (WD), mostly composed of fat/sugar-enriched foods. The WD has been reportedly targeted as a potential driver of gut-liver axis unbalance, suggesting a major role in NASH. On the other hand, bioactive food compounds feature as a potential chemopreventive strategy against NASH, due to their beneficial effects (i.e, anti-inflammatory/oxidant activity and modulation of gut microbiome). Brassicaceae vegetables are known for their high amount of isothiocyanates and polyphenols, as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and chlorogenic acid (CGA). Thus, we sought to assess the effects of human relevant doses of I3C and CGA isolated or in combination (5/125 mg/Kg of body weight, respectively) on a diet/chemical-induced murine model of NASH. I3C + CGA oral treatment diminished NAFLD activity score (NAS) (p