Lipid-lowering capacity of GABA-rich supernatant from fermented okara in OA-induced HepG2 cells

Abstract

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been shown to have many beneficial functions and has received widespread attention. To broaden the application of GABA-rich fermentation supernatant, this study investigated the lipid-lowering capacity of GABA-rich supernatant from fermented okara (FOS-G) in vitro. The results showed that FOS-G improved the oxidative stress in OA-induced HepG2 cells by reducing the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, FOS-G improved the lipid accumulation in cells by reducing total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG). The results of Western blot showed that FOS-G exerted an ameliorative effect by activating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and AMPK/SREBP-1 pathway. In particular, adipogenesis was inhibited by activating AMPK phosphorylation. The results showed that the therapeutic properties of FOS-G were directly related to its GABA content. In summary, FOS-G has a lipid-lowering capacity and can be used as a functional food ingredient for improving hyperlipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).