Wheat sprouts (Triticum aestivum Linn.) cultured by a smart farm system ameliorate NAFLD through the AMPK-mediated SREBP signaling pathway.

Abstract

Wheat is cultivated worldwide and is the most widely distributed food crop. Wheat is a staple crop in many countries. However, the effects of various cultivation methods on the efficacy of wheat sprouts have not been determined. This study investigated wheat sprouts obtained using a standardized smart farm system (WS-S) to improve the effects of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and molecular mechanism. Wheat sprouts significantly attenuated the accumulation of lipid droplets in FFA-induced HepG2 cells through AMPK pathway activity. In vivo experiments showed that WS-S significantly lowered body weight gain and decreased adipose tissue, lipid, aspartate transaminase, and alanine aminotransferase levels in HFD/F-treated mice. Furthermore, WS-S stimulated the phosphorylation of ACC and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha via the AMPK pathway and inhibited SREBP-1/FAS signaling to inhibit de novo adipogenesis and increase fatty acid oxidation. These results suggest that WS-S ameliorates NAFLD by regulating fatty acid metabolism via the AMPK pathway.

• Authors: BoYoon Chang, JinHye Bae, SeungBeom Yun, YongDuk Kim, SeongJin Park, SungYeon Kim
• Journal: Food science and biotechnology (Food Sci Biotechnol) Vol. 32 Issue 11 Pg. 1585-1594 (Oct 2023) ISSN: 2092-6456 [Electronic] Korea (South)
• PMID: 37637841 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.