Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract Attenuates Cafeteria-Diet-Induced Liver Metabolic Disturbances in Rats: Influence of Photoperiod

Abstract

Cafeteria diet; Circannual rhythms; Liver lipidic metabolism

Dieta cafeteria; Ritmes circanuals; Metabolisme lipídic hepàtic

Dieta cafetería; Ritmos circanuales; Metabolismo lipídico hepático

This study investigated the influence of photoperiod (day length) on the efficacy of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) in mitigating metabolic disorders in obese rats fed a cafeteria diet. Rats were exposed to standard (L12), long (L18), or short (L6) photoperiods and treated with GSPE or vehicle. In the standard photoperiod, GSPE reduced body weight gain (50.5%), total cholesterol (37%), and triglycerides (34.8%), while increasing the expression of hepatic metabolic genes. In the long photoperiod, GSPE tended to decrease body weight gain, increased testosterone levels (68.3%), decreased liver weight (12.4%), and decreased reverse serum amino acids. In the short photoperiod, GSPE reduced glycemia (~10%) and lowered triglyceride levels (38.5%), with effects modified by diet. The standard photoperiod showed the greatest efficacy against metabolic syndrome-associated diseases. The study showed how day length affects GSPE’s benefits and underscores considering biological rhythms in metabolic disease therapies.

This project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/, by ERDF “A way of making Europe” (Grants numbers: PID2021-128813OB-I00 and PID2020-113739RB-I00). R.M.R. was the recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from Universitat Rovira i Virgili—Martí i Franquès, grant number 2018PMF-PIPF-11. M.C.P. was the recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the Catalan Government, grant number 2021FI_B2 00150. E.C. and M.M. are Serra-Hunter fellows.