Abstract Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common chronic liver
diseases with unclarified pathomechanism and without evidence-proven therapy. Dietary
polyphenols, targeting oxidative stress, are at the center of investigations. Our
aim was to examine the effects of a polyphenol rich extract on metal element homeostasis
and transmethylation ability in non-alcoholic fatty liver model. A ten-day rat model
was used (control group, hyperlipidemic group with fat-rich diet, hyperlipidemic group
with fat-rich diet and polyphenol supplementation, N = 8 in each group). The hyperlipidemic
diet increased the concentration of the majority of the elements with significantly
higher contents of B, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Se, Si, and Zn in the liver.
Further elevation of Al, Pb, and Sn concentrations could be observed in polyphenol
supplemented animals. The polyphenol supplement unexpectedly decreased the transmethylation
ability of the liver (132.00 vs. 114.15 vs. 92.25 HCHO μg g−1) further. The results
emphasize the possible role of altered metal and non-metal element concentrations
and decreased transmethylation ability in the pathomechanism of fatty liver disease.
Dietary supplementation with natural compounds may have undesirable effect as well,
there is the necessity to improve the efficacy of polyphenol formulations because
of their low oral bioavailability.
