Regulation effects of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis Linn) on hepatic lipid metabolism in OA induced NAFLD rats

Rosmarinus officinalis Linn is a kind of medicinal and edible homologous plant, which is popular in the Mediterranean region with a significant effect on mind tranquilization, anti-oxidation, and metabolic improvement. However, the hypolipidemic and mechanism of rosemary ethanol extract (RO) and their metabolites are less known. In this study, the hypolipidemic effects of RO and its active compounds were clarified. The results showed that RO, rosmarinic acid (RA) and carnosic acid (CA) significantly reduced the contents of liver triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), free fatty acids (FFA) and improved cell hypertrophy, vacuolation, and cell necrosis in liver of orotic acid induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model rats. The mechanism and related pathways of RO and its main metabolites against lipid disorder was related to the up-regulation of the phosphorylation of adenosine 5’-monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibition of the sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) cracking into the nuclear, following down-regulation of fatty acid synthesis. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that RA and CA, as effective basis of RO, targeted drug for improving NAFLD, needs further study.