Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) lipid extract prevents metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing year by year and it has become an important factor that endangers health. Blue mussel lipid extract (BMLE) is rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and astaxanthin, which has strong anti-inflammatory activity and has been shown to have a good effect on type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and so forth. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of BMLE on MASLD and its possible mechanism.

The results showed that BMLE could significantly reduce liver lipid accumulation. In BMLE group the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and liver levels of lipid synthesis proteins fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) were significantly lower than the corn oil (CO) group. And BMLE down-regulated the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathways, reduced the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) inflammatory factors. In addition, BMLE increased gut microbiota unclassified_Muribaculaceae, and reduced uncultured_Bacteroidales_bacterium and Dubosiella in genus level. Unclassified_Muribaculaceae was negatively correlated with IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, FAS and PPARγ. Uncultured_Bacteroidales_bacterium was positively correlated with TG, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, SREBP1, ACC and Caspase-1. Dubosiella and TC are also significantly positively correlated.

BMLE may improve MASLD by regulating fat synthesis and reducing inflammatory factors, as well as regulating gut microbiota. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.