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The Effects of Onion Consumption on Prevention of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

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Abstract

It is well known that dietary intakes play a pivotal role in pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); however, the role of each component of diet has not yet been elucidated. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of onion consumption on prevention of NAFLD/NASH development. Sprague–Dawley rats were fed either high-fat, high sugar diet (model group), or high-fat, high sugar diet plus 7% onion powder (model + onion), or chow diet ad libitum for 7 weeks. Serum levels of fasting glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, liver enzymes, insulin, and hepatic tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) gene expression were determined. Hepatic histology was examined by H&E stain. Model + onion group had significantly lower hepatic steatosis, ballooning, lobular inflammation, and portal inflammation (p < 0.001), lower hepatic TNF-α gene expression (p < 0.001), lower plasma levels of ALT (p = 0.026), AST (p = 0.041), insulin (p < 0.001), TG (p = 0.041), and glucose (p = 0.009) compared with model group; however, weight gain, food intake, plasma total cholesterol and LDL levels were not significantly different between these two groups. Our data indicate that regular consumption of onion can prevent NAFLD even in the presence of the other risk factors such as obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and high energy, fat, and sugar intakes.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Grant from the National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute of the Shahid Beheshti University.

Funding

This study was funded by National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute (Grant Number 568).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Hadi Emamat, Hassan Eini-Zinab & Azita Hekmatdoost

  2. Department of Pathology, Taleghani Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Forough Foroughi

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  1. Hadi Emamat
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  2. Forough Foroughi
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  3. Hassan Eini-Zinab
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  4. Azita Hekmatdoost
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Correspondence to Azita Hekmatdoost.

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Emamat, H., Foroughi, F., Eini-Zinab, H. et al. The Effects of Onion Consumption on Prevention of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Ind J Clin Biochem 33, 75–80 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-017-0636-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-017-0636-7

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