Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract improves the hepatic glutathione metabolism in obese Zucker rats

Increased oxidative stress may play an important role in metabolic syndrome and related manifestations, including obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and insulin resistance. Its relation to obesity is due to increased reactive oxygen species and/or decreased glutathione (GSH) antioxidant metabolism. Consequently, the activation of glutathione metabolism appears to be a central defense response to prevent oxidative stress. In this sense, dietary supplements with natural antioxidant molecules, including proanthocyanidins, may present a useful strategy of controlling and reducing complications of obesity, including hepatic steatosis.

We assessed the grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) effect on oxidative alterations related to genetically obese rats (Zucker rats) and, more specifically, to hepatic GSH metabolism. We demonstrate that the administration of GSPE reduced the oxidized glutathione accumulation increasing the total GSH/oxidized glutathione hepatic ratio and consequently decreasing the activation of antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione S-transferase, and increasing the total antioxidant capacity of the cell.

In Zucker rats, the obesity-induced oxidative stress related to liver glutathione alteration was mitigated by GSPE administration.