Lycium ruthenicum extract alleviates high-fat diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease via enhancing the AMPK signaling pathway.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease that currently has no standard treatment. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Lycium ruthenicum extract (LRE) on high‑fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD, and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. To determine the hepatoprotective effect of LRE, C57BL/6 mice were fed a normal control diet, high‑fat diet (HFD), HFD supplemented with 2 g/kg LRE, or HFD supplemented with 5 g/kg LRE. Treatment with LRE markedly decreased the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in the serum of mice fed a HFD, and improved glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in NAFLD mice. In addition, treatment with LRE significantly decreased the expression levels of sterol regulatory element‑binding protein 1c and fatty acid synthase, and markedly increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor α and peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor γ co‑activator 1α. Furthermore, LRE treatment significantly increased the activation of adenosine monophosphate‑activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the liver. These results suggested that LRE is able to suppress lipid accumulation in HFD‑fed C57BL/6 mice via enhancement of the AMPK pathway.