Chemical profiling of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua aqueous extract by UPLC-Q-TOF MS and protective effect on metabolic-associated fatty liver disease

Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua (P. Hua) has been demonstrated with several biological potentials, such as lipid lowering and anti-inflammatory effects. To evaluate protective the effect of P. Hua aqueous extract (PCHE) on metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), PCHE was analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF MS to characterize the chemical composition and pharmacodynamic experiments in vivo and in vitro were conducted using PCHE to intervene in MAFLD models. In vitro, a MAFLD cellular model was established by inducing HepG2 cells with free fatty acid (FFA). In vivo, a MAFLD murine model was generated via a high-fat/high-fructose (HFHF) diet in C57BL/6 J mice. The results showed that a total of 32 chemical compounds were detected in PCHE. In both HepG2 cells and HFHF-induced MAFLD mice, high-dose PCHE significantly improved lipid profiles, inhibited excessive hepatic lipid droplet accumulation, and up regulated the mRNA and protein expression of PPARα/CPT-1A/MCAD. In conclusion, PCHE exerted regulatory effects on MAFLD, possibly associated with the modulation of the PPARα/CPT-1A/MCAD signaling pathway. These results provided an vital basis for the development of functional food made up of P. Hua to prevent MAFLD.