The Effects of Olive Oil on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Background and Aim: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic condition associated with poor liver performance. No strategy for NAFLD treatment other than weight reduction and lifestyle modification, including diet, has yet been suggested. This study was performed to show the effect of olive oil on NAFLD improvement. Materials and Methods: In this trial, 35 male Wistar rats were fed a basic diet for 14 days, and then they received a high fat – high carbohydrate diet (43% fat, 50% carbohydrates and 17% protein) for 28 days to induce NAFLD. Afterwards, intervention period was started by dividing the animals into 3 groups as control (C) (induction diet), treatment 1 (T1) (10% olive oil) and treatment 2 (T2) (20% olive oil) for 28 days. Biochemical indices such as AST, ALT, TG, Total Cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C were measured between each two periods. Twenty-four rats were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA and repeated measures tests. Results: Mean AST decreased in C group from 466 UI/L to 193.3 UI/L, in T1 group from 697 UI/L to 312 UI/L, and in T2 group from 453.7 UI/L to 263.6 UI/L. Mean ALT decreased in C group from 121.3 UI/L to 80.3 UI/L, in T1 group from 178.8 UI/L to 167.3 UI/L, and in T2 group from 124.8 UI/L to 120.2 UI/L(p=0.02). Mean total Cholesterol in C, T1, and T2 groups changed from 76.3,75.8, and 78.8 mg/dl to 80.8, 77, and 73.9 mg/dl, respectively (p=0.05). Mean serum TG in C, T1, and T2 groups decreased from 87.3, 128.1, and 133.7 mg/dl to 78, 58, and 89.3 mg/dl, respectively (P=0.02). Conclusion: All in all, the results indicated that the diet containing olive oil (10% and 20%) decreased the level of ALT enzyme and the diet with 20% olive oil reduced total serum cholesterol level in rats.