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The effects of high fructose fruits and honey on the serum level of metabolic factors and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

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Abstract

Introduction

The effect of the natural sources of fructose such as high fructose fruits and honey on the risk of fatty liver is still challenging. This study aimed to compare the effect of fructose, high fructose fruits, and honey on the metabolic factors and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods

Forty-four rats were divided into four groups including normal diet group, high fructose group (HF), high fructose fruits group (HFF), and honey group (HO). After 120 days of intervention, the levels of insulin resistance, hepatic enzyme, and lipid profile were measured. Also, the expression levels of the acetyl-coA carboxylase (ACC), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) genes were assessed. In addition, a histopathologic assessment was performed on liver tissues.

Results

Insulin resistance (IR) increased significantly in the HF, HFF, and HO groups (All P < 0.05). The levels of liver enzymes was significantly increased only in the group receiving the HF regimen (P < 0.01). A significant decrease in total cholesterol and HDL-C (high density lipoprotein cholesterol) levels was found in HO group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The expression levels of ACC and SREBP-1c genes in HF, HFF, and HO groups were significantly higher than the control group (All P < 0.05). The HF group had a greater increase in the level of gene expression of IL-6 and TGF-β (All P < 0.05). Histopathological assessment did not find any changes in fatty liver formation and inflammatory damage.

Conclusion

Consumption of fructose-rich honey and fruits improved the status of inflammatory markers and liver enzymes compared with the industrial fructose-rich products.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the staff from Comparative and Experimental Medicine center, Shiraz, Iran for their contribution in this study. We also appreciate the unlimited cooperation and guidance of Prof. A Behzad-Behbahani from Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center. This work was supported by a research grant from the research deputy of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (grant no. 93-8704).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Fatemeh Sadeghi

  2. Student Research Committee, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran

    Sasan Amanat

  3. Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Mohammad Bakhtiari

  4. Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran

    Hadis Asadimehr

  5. Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Mohammad Ali Okhovat

  6. Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Masood Hosseinzadeh

  7. Nutrition Research Center, Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Seyed Mohammad Mazloomi

  8. Student Research Committee, Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Maryam Gholamalizadeh

  9. Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Al-Zahra Hospital, School of Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

    Saeid Doaei

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  1. Fatemeh Sadeghi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sasan Amanat.

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Ethical approval

The experimental protocol of this research was approved by ethics committee of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran (IR.SUMS.REC.1393.8704).

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The authors declared that they have no conflict of interest.

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Sadeghi, F., Amanat, S., Bakhtiari, M. et al. The effects of high fructose fruits and honey on the serum level of metabolic factors and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. J Diabetes Metab Disord 20, 1647–1654 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-021-00916-x

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