A galactosylated zein nanoplatform loaded with orientin (Ori@Gal-Zein), made via the Maillard reaction, reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in CDAHFD-induced NAFLD mice with efficacy comparable to silybin, while also remodeling lipid profiles and gut microbiota.
Ori@Gal-Zein was engineered via the Maillard reaction as uniform spherical nanoparticles with high orientin loading and gastrointestinal stability.
Ori@Gal-Zein reduced hepatic triglyceride and total cholesterol accumulation in CDAHFD-induced NAFLD mice.
Ori@Gal-Zein attenuated lipid peroxidation and restored antioxidant capacity in NAFLD mice.
Lipidomics showed Ori@Gal-Zein decreased triglyceride, diglyceride, and ceramide levels and restored the phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine (PC/PE) ratio.
Ori@Gal-Zein remodeled gut microbiota in NAFLD mice.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) involves too much fat building up in the liver, and current drug options can have side effects. Orientin, a natural plant compound, may protect the liver, but it dissolves poorly and is not absorbed well. The researchers packaged orientin in tiny particles made from the corn protein zein attached to a sugar (galactose) using a heat-driven chemical process called the Maillard reaction. The particles were about 163 nanometers across, carried about 7.9% orientin, and were stable under conditions mimicking digestion. In mice fed a diet that induces fatty liver disease, the orientin nanoparticles lowered liver triglycerides and cholesterol, reduced signs of fat-related oxidative damage, and restored antioxidant defenses. The effect was comparable to silybin, a compound commonly used for liver protection. Detailed fat profiling showed lower levels of several harmful fat types (triglycerides, diglycerides, ceramides) and a restored balance of two membrane lipids (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine). The treatment also shifted the gut bacteria, normalizing the ratio of two major bacterial groups, reducing Pseudomonadota, and increasing Akkermansia, a bacterium often associated with gut health. This research suggests that sugar-modified protein nanoparticles could be a useful way to deliver plant compounds like orientin for fatty liver. These findings come from mouse studies, so their relevance to people remains untested.
Lan Y, Jin G, Lei X, Zhao J, Lei L, Ran Y, et al.. (2026). Engineering a Galactosylated Zein-Orientin Nanoplatform for NAFLD Alleviation via Lipid Metabolic Modulation and Gut Microbiota Remodeling.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6c06959