Characterization of active constituents in Pyracantha fortuneana fruit extract and their effects on hyperlipidaemia, obesity, and oxidative stress in rodents

Pyracantha fortuneana fruit is a potential source of nutraceutical and therapeutic agents. We investigated the effects of P. fortuneana fruit extract (PFE) on hyperlipidaemia, obesity, and oxidative stress in rodents. PFE significantly decreased body weight, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and malondialdehyde levels. By contrast, PFE elevated high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities in both preventive and therapeutic rodent groups. These results indicate that the amelioration of PFE on hyperlipidaemia and obesity was highly associated with the improvement of endogenous antioxidant activity. Polyphenols and saponins were quantified by spectrophotometric and HPLC methods. Several new saponin compounds were identified by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry as ursolic acid (UA) derivatives. The quercetin, rutin, and procyanidin treatments in HepG2 cells showed increases in low-density lipoprotein receptor activity and apolipoprotein-A1, but UA less affected these protein activities. Therefore, PFE could be promising in ameliorating chronic metabolic diseases via multiple constituent synergies.