Effect of oral administration of water-soluble extract from citrus peel (Citrus unshiu) on suppressing alcohol-induced fatty liver in rats

Water-soluble citrus peel extract (WCE) from Citrus unshiu was studied for its anti-alcoholic fatty liver activities through chronic oral administration to Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. WCE, which was prepared by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), was co-supplemented with ethanol (2.87 ml/rat/day) at low and high dosages (278 and 576 mg/rat/day, respectively) for 6 weeks. Ethanol consumption significantly elevated both total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations in the serum of SD rats; otherwise co-administration of WCE lowered both serum TG and TC levels. Ethanol consumption caused a hepatic lipid content of 227 mg/g liver after 6 weeks whereas co-administration of WCE, especially at high dosage, significantly reduced it to 187 mg/g of liver. Analysis of hepatic fatty acids revealed that WCE suppressed conjugation of oleic acid into TG. These results support probable application of WCE as an anti-alcoholic fatty liver agent.