A polysaccharide from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. pulp ameliorates oxidative stress and lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells

Oxidative stress and hepatic lipid accumulation are two key contributors to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The present research sought to examine the effect of a polysaccharide from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. pulp (JFP-Ps) on alleviating hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )-induced cellular oxidative stress, and attenuating oleic acid (OA)-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells, respectively. Results showed that JFP-Ps considerably lower intracellular ROS and MDA concentrations, elevate the activities of CAT, SOD, GSH-Px, and T-AOC. Furthermore, JFP-Ps exhibited antioxidant effects by up-regulating Nrf2, NQO1 and HO-1 expression, and down-regulating ERK and P38 expression in H 2 O 2 -treated HepG2 cells. Western blot determination indicated that JFP-Ps up-regulated the expression of Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 in the Nrf2 pathway and down-regulated the expression of PERK and p-P38 in the MAPK pathway. JFP-Ps decreased the TG and TC contents, reduced the relative area of lipid droplets, and restored OA-elicited lipid metabolism disorders in HepG2 cells. The lipid-lowering impact of JFP-Ps is facilitated through down-regulating PPARγ/SREBP1/HMGCR/FAS, and upregulating of CPT1A/CYP7A1 expressions. These results could offer valuable insights for the potential application of JFP-Ps in NAFLD treatment. • JFP-Ps alleviate oxidative stress in H₂O₂-induced HepG2 cells. • JFP-Ps regulate abnormal lipid accumulation in oleic acid (OA)-induced HepG2 cells. • JFP-Ps exerts antioxidant effects via regulating the Nrf2 and MAPK pathway. • JFP-Ps exerted hepatoprotective effects through the PPARα/SREBP1/HMGCR/FAS/CPT1A/CYP7A1 pathway.