Papaya improves non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese rats by attenuating oxidative stress, inflammation and lipogenic gene expression

Table 1 Composition of papaya

Nutrients	Value
Energy (kcal)	26.62 ± 0.26
Moisture (g)	92.86 ± 0.06
Protein (g)	0.65 ± 0.02
Total fat (g)	0.00 ± 0.00
Total carbohydrate (g)	6.01 ± 0.09
Soluble dietary fibre (g)	0.87 ± 0.03
Ash (g)	0.49 ± 0.01
Total sugar (g)	3.97 ± 0.02
Calcium (mg)	25.95 ± 0.98
Potassium (mg)	14.50 ± 0.28
Iron (mg)	0.56 ± 0.01
Total phenolic compounds (mg gallic acid/g papaya)	0.56 ± 0.01
Carotenoid profile:
Beta-cryptoxanthin (μg)	596.04 ± 15.27
Lycopene (μg)	1166.88 ± 11.24
Beta-carotene (μg)	78.96 ± 1.45

Table 2 Effects of papaya on body weight, liver weight, hepatic lipid contents and liver damage indices in high fat diet induced obesity in rats

	C	HFD	HFL	HFH
Initial weight (g)	218.0 ± 12.18	236.5 ± 13.58	215.5 ± 14.01	221.8 ± 14.29
Body weight at week 8 (g)	398.6 ± 9.462	457.6 ± 18.93a	462.9 ± 17.11a	454.9 ± 7.584a
Body weight at week 12 (g)	465.83 ± 11.13	536 ± 33.24c	509.33 ± 33.57a	471.33 ± 15.04e
Liver weight (% of body weight)	2.66 ± 0.13	4.46 ± 0.3c	4.49 ± 0.51c	4.33 ± 0.26c
Hepatic triglycerides (mg/dL)	140.60 ± 13.95	211.00 ± 26.25a	172.50 ± 7.89	152.20 ± 12.68d
Hepatic cholesterol (mg/dL)	74.30 ± 5.58	152.60 ± 9.44c	112.40 ± 7.96b,e	92.38 ± 6.66f
Serum ALT (U/mL)	38.80 ± 2.29	214.00 ± 48.95c	109.30 ± 20.85d	86.00 ± 7.57d
Serum AST (U/mL)	126.40 ± 4.72	302.70 ± 51.72b	211.30 ± 7.88	137.70 ± 21.42e
Serum ALP (U/mL)	60.60 ± 1.80	86.20 ± 4.60b	91.00 ± 4.16b	88.00 ± 6.08b

Data are expressed as the mean ± SE of the mean (n = 6-7).

^aP < 0.05.

^bP < 0.01.

^cP < 0.001 vs C.

^dP < 0.05.

^eP < 0.01.

^fP < 0.001 vs high fat diet group. ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; ALT: Alanine transaminase; AST: Aspartate transaminase; C: Control; HFD: High fat diet; HFH: High fat diet treated with 1 mL of papaya juice/100 g body weight; HFL: High fat diet treated with 0.5 mL of papaya juice/100 g body weight.