Study on the lipid-lowering capacity of α-linolenic acid from Perilla seed oil in oleic acid-induced HepG2 cells

• Lipid-lowering and anticancer capacity of α-linolenic acid from perilla seed oil were studied upon OA-induced HepG2 cells. • Microencapsulation by spray-drying is found to be an effective way to improve the chemical stability of α-linolenic acid from perilla seed oil. • The theoretical basis of the evaluation of the anticancer and hypolipidemic activity of PSO in vitro were provided. The multiple physiological functions of α-linolenic acid (ALA) are closely related to people's health and have attracted more and more attention. To further study ALA-rich perilla seed oil (PSO)’s mechanism of action and physiological function, the present study investigated the in vitro lipid-lowering capacity of ALA in PSO. The results indicated that PSO ameliorated oleic acid-induced oxidative stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reducing its content thereby. Moreover, α-linolenic acid extract (AE) improved the lipid accumulation intracellular by reducing total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). These findings suggest that ALA from PSO has significant potential in managing hyperlipidemia and related metabolic disorders, providing a natural alternative for therapeutic interventions.