The Effect of Quercetin on Oxidative Stress Parameters in A Fructose-Induced Experimental Metabolic Syndrome Model

Abstract

Aim: With the rising prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), antioxidant therapies for managing oxidative stress are gaining attention. Fructose, a major metabolic stressor and a prevalent sweetener in processed foods, plays a significant role in this condition. This study evaluates quercetin's effects on MetS components, specifically its ability to alleviate oxidative stress in liver tissue within a fructose-induced MetS model. Material and Methods: 24 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, fructose, quercetin, and fructose+quercetin. Quercetin (15 mg/kg/day) was administered via gavage, and a 20% fructose solution was provided in drinking water over 10 weeks. Key metabolic parameters, including body weight, blood pressure, serum glucose, triglycerides, insulin levels, and insulin resistance, were assessed to confirm MetS. Liver tissue was analyzed for oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), nitric oxide (NO), total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and the oxidative stress index (OSI). Results: Fructose administration successfully induced key metabolic syndrome components, such as obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. Quercetin significantly reduced fructose-induced hypertension and insulin resistance, though its effects on obesity, hyperglycemia, and hypertriglyceridemia were limited. Fructose exposure markedly elevated liver MDA, AOPP, and TOS levels, with nonsignificant increases in NO and TAS. Co-administration of quercetin with fructose resulted in significantly higher MDA levels compared to controls, while AOPP levels were notably reduced. Conclusion: At the administered dose, quercetin showed limited efficacy in mitigating fructose-induced lipid peroxidation; however, it displayed notable antioxidant activity by modulating protein oxidation and NO levels. These findings provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome and suggest potential therapeutic avenues for targeting its underlying components.

Keywords

• Fructose
• Quercetin
• Oxidative Stress
• Liver
• Rat
• Metabolic Sydrome

Fruktoz ile İndüklenmiş Deneysel Metabolik Sendrom Modelinde Kuersetinin Oksidatif Stres Parametrelerine Etkisi

Abstract

Amaç: Metabolik Sendromun (MetS) artan yaygınlığı ile birlikte, oksidatif stresi yönetmek için antioksidan tedavilere olan ilgi artmaktadır. Fruktoz, önemli bir metabolik stresör ve işlenmiş gıdalarda yaygın olarak kullanılan bir tatlandırıcı olarak bu durumda önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Bu çalışma, quercetinin MetS bileşenleri üzerindeki etkilerini, özellikle fruktoz ile indüklenen MetS modelinde karaciğer dokusundaki oksidatif stresi hafifletme yeteneğini değerlendirmektedir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: 24 tane Sprague-Dawley sıçanı rastgele dört gruba ayrıldı: kontrol, fruktoz, kuersetin ve fruktoz+kuersetin. Quercetin (15 mg/kg/gün) oral gavaj yoluyla uygulanırken, %20 fruktoz çözeltisi 10 hafta boyunca içme suyu ile verildi. MetS’in doğrulanması için vücut ağırlığı, kan basıncı, serum glukoz, trigliserid, insülin seviyeleri ve insülin direnci gibi temel metabolik parametreler değerlendirildi. Karaciğer dokusu malondialdehit (MDA), ileri oksidasyon protein ürünleri (AOPP), nitrik oksit (NO), toplam antioksidan kapasite (TAS), toplam oksidan kapasite (TOS) ve oksidatif stres indeksi (OSI) gibi oksidatif stres belirteçleri açısından analiz edildi. Bulgular: Fruktoz uygulaması, obezite, hipertansiyon, hipertrigliseridemi, hiperglisemi ve insülin direnci gibi temel metabolik sendrom bileşenlerini başarıyla indükledi. Kuersetin, fruktoz kaynaklı hipertansiyon ve insülin direncini önemli ölçüde azalttı, ancak obezite, hiperglisemi ve hipertrigliseridemi üzerindeki etkileri sınırlıydı. Fruktoz uygulaması, karaciğer MDA, AOPP ve TOS seviyelerini belirgin şekilde artırırken, NO ve TAS seviyelerindeki artış istatistiksel olarak anlamlı değildi. Fruktoz ile birlikte kuersetin uygulanması, kontrol grubuna kıyasla anlamlı derecede yüksek MDA seviyelerine yol açarken, AOPP seviyelerinde belirgin bir azalma gözlendi. Sonuç: Uygulanan dozda kuersetin, fruktozun yol açtığı lipid peroksidasyonunu hafifletmede sınırlı bir etki gösterdi; ancak protein oksidasyonu ve NO seviyelerini modüle ederek dikkate değer bir antioksidan aktivite gözlendi. Bu bulgular, metabolik sendrom patogenezi hakkında değerli bilgiler sunmakta ve temel bileşenlerine yönelik potansiyel terapötik yaklaşımlara işaret etmektedir.

Keywords

• Fruktoz
• Kuersetin
• Oksidatif Stres
• Karaciğer
• Sıçan
• Metabolik Sendrom

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