Unsaponifiable matter (USM) from wheat bran, a by-product obtained from wheat milling, is abundant in health-promoting compounds such as phytosterols, tocopherols, policosanols, and alkylresorcinols. This study aimed to examine the effects of USM from the wheat bran of normal and waxy type wheat, Saekeumkang (SKK) and Shinmichal (SMC), on hepatic lipid accumulation in free fatty acid (FFA)-induced hepatocytes and to investigate the cellular mechanism. The total phytochemical contents were 46.562 g/100 g USM and 38.130 g/100 g USM from SKK and SMC, respectively. FFA treatment increased intracellular lipid accumulation by approximately 260% compared to the control group; however, treatment with USM from SKK and SMC significantly attenuated lipid accumulation in the hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, USM downregulated the expression of lipogenic factors such as fatty acid synthase and sterol regulatory-element-binding protein 1c by approximately 40% compared to the FFA treatment group. Treatment with USM promoted lipolysis and positively regulated the expression of the proteins involved in β-oxidation, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and its downstream protein, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A. Moreover, the blockade of AMPK activation significantly abolished the inhibitory effects of USM on hepatic lipid accumulation. These results indicated that the USM from both SKK and SMC can alleviate lipid accumulation in hepatocytes in an AMPK-dependent manner. Therefore, USM from wheat bran may be useful as a therapeutic intervention for treating metabolic-dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease.
Keywords: AMPK pathway; Triticum aestivum L.; hepatocytes; lipid accumulation; unsaponifiable matter; wheat bran.