Excessive
fructose (Fru) consumption has been reported to favor
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (
NAFLD). However, the molecular mechanism is still elusive, lacking effective therapeutic strategies.
Carminic acid (CA), a glucosylated
anthraquinone found in scale insects like Dactylopius coccus, exerts anti-
tumor and
anti-oxidant activities. Nevertheless, its regulatory role in Fru-induced
NAFLD is still obscure. Here, the effects of CA on
NAFLD in Fru-challenged mice and the underlying molecular mechanisms were explored. We found that Fru intake significantly led to
insulin resistance and
dyslipidemia in liver of mice, which were considerably attenuated by CA treatment through repressing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Additionally, inflammatory response induced by Fru was also attenuated by CA via the blockage of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB),
mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and
tumor necrosis factor α/TNF-α
receptor (TNF-α/TNFRs) signaling pathways. Moreover, Fru-provoked oxidative stress in liver tissues was remarkably attenuated by CA mainly through improving the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2). These anti-
dyslipidemias, anti-inflammatory and
anti-oxidant activities regulated by CA were confirmed in the isolated primary hepatocytes with Fru stimulation. Importantly, the in vitro experiments demonstrated that Fru-induced
lipid accumulation was closely associated with inflammatory response and
reactive oxygen species (ROS) production regulated by TNF-α and Nrf-2 signaling pathways, respectively. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that CA could be considered as a potential therapeutic strategy to attenuate metabolic disorder and
NAFLD in Fru-challenged mice mainly through suppressing inflammatory response and oxidative stress.