Protective effect and mechanism of action of mulberry marc anthocyanins on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in rats

•The content of anthocyanins in mulberry marc was higher than in mulberry juices.•Mulberry marc anthocyanins can be obtained widely and cheaply from raw materials.•MMA markedly decreased indexes of serum and physiological in rats.•MMA provides a reference point for potential anti-fibrotic drug and functional foods. Mulberry fruit is widely consumed either fresh or in processed food products such as juice, mulberry jelly and jam. Conversely, mulberry marc, the solid component after juicing, is primarily a waste product or used in animal fodder, despite being rich in anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have been reported to have hepatoprotective, hypolipidaemic and antioxidant activities. In this study, the protective effect of mulberry marc anthocyanins (MMA) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats was investigated. Male Sprague Dawley rats were injected with CCl4 to induce liver fibrosis. Compared with the model group, the contents of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate amino transferase, hyaluronidase acid, hydroxyproline and collagen type-III in the MMA 200 mg/kg group were decreased. Moreover, pathological examination and immunohistochemical showed that CCl4-induced liver fibrosis was alleviated by administration of MMA. These results demonstrate that MMA has a potent protective effect on CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats.