The Protective Effect of Camellia Bee Pollen on Alcoholic Fatty Liver in Zebrafish

Background/Objectives: Camellia bee pollen refers to pollen pellets collected by bees from plant stamens and mixed with salivary secretions. Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), as the initial phase within the spectrum of alcohol-induced liver diseases, has resulted in a rising global incidence rate and treatment burden of such liver ailments. Methods: This study employs acute zebrafish juvenile and adult zebrafish chronic alcoholic liver models to explore the protective effects of camellia bee pollen as well as its ethanol and water extracts on zebrafish alcoholic fatty liver. Results: The research findings indicate that the intervention group treated with camellia bee pollen significantly mitigated the accumulation of lipid droplets in zebrafish larvae and notably improved the liver lobule structure of adult zebrafish, bringing it close to normal conditions. The camellia pollen intervention group could significantly decrease the levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and malondialdehyde (MDA), while increasing the levels of glutathione (GSH) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD). Conclusions: This experiment indicates that the pollen of tea flowers has a significant protective effect against alcoholic liver damage.