Blue mussel ( <i>Mytilus edulis</i> ) lipid extract prevents metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease

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