Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is characterized by
dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis,
steatohepatitis,
edema,
necrosis, etc. Studies have reported that some dietary nutrition factors have beneficial effects in improving ALD.
Red yeast rice (RYR), a traditional herbal supplement, has been confirmed to lower
cholesterol mainly due to its component
monacolin K. However, the effect of RYR on ALD has not been investigated. In this study, mice were supplemented with a daily oral gavage of 4 g/kg 50%
ethanol for 8 weeks to induce a chronic ALD. RYR (150 mg kg-1 day-1 ) was supplied to ALD mice in treatment group. The results showed that RYR supplementation significantly attenuated
hyperlipidemia, elevated circulating inflammatory
cytokines, hepatic structural damage, and oxidative stress in mice supplemented with alcohol with no effects on
body weight. Moreover, RYR significantly suppressed alcohol-induced hepatic NF-κB activation and apoptosis. Our results suggest that RYR is capable of preventing ALD mainly by attenuating hepatic oxidative stress and inflammatory response. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: RYR was known for
cholesterol-lowering effect through its main component
monacolin K. The current study revealed that RYR was capable of ameliorating ALD, which is characterized by profound
dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis,
steatohepatitis,
edema, etc. Our results indicated that the protective effect of RYR on ALD is largely achieved by regulating lipid metabolism, and closely related to the anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant effects of RYR. This study provides research foundation for the development of RYR-related food or pharmaceutical products, especially targeting for ALD.