Administration of Protein Hydrolysates from Anchovy (Engraulis Encrasicolus) Waste for Twelve Weeks Decreases Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease Severity in ApoE–/–Mice

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) includes several diseases, ranging from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Fish-rich diets are considered helpful in the prevention of MAFLD, and the enzymatic hydrolysis of fish waste has been explored as a means of obtaining high-value protein hydrolysates, which have been proven to exert beneficial bioactivities including anti-obesity and hypocholesterol effects. This study aimed to assess the effect of the administration of protein hydrolysates from anchovy waste (APH) for 12 weeks on attenuated high-fat diet-induced MAFLD in apolipoprotein E-knockout mice (ApoE^-/-). Thirty ApoE^-/- mice were divided into two groups (<i>n</i> = 15/group) and fed a high-fat diet (HFD), with and without the addition of 10% (<i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) APH. After 12 weeks, serum and hepatic lipid profiles, hepatic enzyme activities, liver histology and immunohistochemistry were analyzed to assess hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis. Twelve-weeks on a 10% (<i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) APH diet reduces total cholesterol and triglyceride serum levels, hepatic enzyme activity and hepatic triacylglycerol content (<i>p</i> < 0.0001), and results in a reduction in hepatic fat accumulation and macrophage recruitment (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). The results suggest that a 10% APH diet has an anti-obesity effect, with an improvement in lipid metabolism, hepatic steatosis and liver injury as a result of a high-fat diet. Protein hydrolysates from fish waste may represent an efficient nutritional strategy in several diseases, and their use as nutraceuticals is worthy of future investigation.