Dietary dehulled adlay ameliorated alcoholic liver disease progression by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and gut-liver axis disruption in rats

Alcohol consumption causes alcoholic liver diseases (ALD). The aim of this study investigated whether the mechanisms of the effects of dehulled adlay on ALD by using a chronic ethanol feeding plus single binge model. Rats were pair-fed with a control liquid diets (C), ethanol liquid diet (E), or ethanol + dehulled adlay diet (EA) containing equal energy and dietary fiber for 5 weeks. The results revealed that dietary dehulled adlay ameliorated ethanol-induced increases in oxidative stress and inflammation and modulating nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-inflammasome and Toll-like receptor-4 signaling pathways. Furthermore, dehulled adlay arrested the decrease in occludin expression in the ileum and mitigated changes in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota caused by alcohol exposure, which were significantly correlated with ALD biomarkers. Our results suggest that dietary dehulled adlay prevents ALD progression possibly by reducing hepatic oxidative stress and inflammation, and modulating gut dysbiosis.