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Effect of Mastiha supplementation on NAFLD: The MAST4HEALTH Randomised, Controlled Trial
Author(s) -
Amerikanou Charalampia,
Kai Stavroula,
Kaliora Andriana C.,
Barone Angela,
Bjelan Mladen,
D'Auria Giuseppe,
Gioxari Aristea,
Gosalbes María José,
Mouchti Sofia,
Stathopoulou Maria G.,
Soriano Beatriz,
Stojanoski Stefan,
Banerjee Rajarshi,
Halabalaki Maria,
Mikropoulou Eleni V.,
Kannt Aimo,
Lamont John,
Llorens Carlos,
Marascio Fernando,
Marascio Miriam,
Roig Francisco J.,
Smyrnioudis Ilias,
Varlamis Iraklis,
VisvikisSiest Sophie,
Vukic Milan,
Milic Natasa,
MedicStojanoska Milica,
Cesarini Lucia,
Campolo Jonica,
Gastaldelli Amalia,
Deloukas Panos,
Trivella Maria Giovanna,
Francino M. Pilar,
Dedoussis George V.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
molecular nutrition and food research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.495
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1613-4133
pISSN - 1613-4125
DOI - 10.1002/mnfr.202001178
Subject(s) - nonalcoholic fatty liver disease , medicine , placebo , gastroenterology , gut flora , lipid profile , population , randomized controlled trial , cirrhosis , placebo controlled study , fatty liver , disease , pathology , cholesterol , immunology , double blind , alternative medicine , environmental health
Scope Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease with poor therapeutic strategies. Mastiha possesses antioxidant/anti‐inflammatory and lipid‐lowering properties. The authors investigate the effectiveness of Mastiha as a nonpharmacological intervention in NAFLD. Methods and Results Ninety‐eight patients with NAFLD in three countries (Greece, Italy, Serbia) are randomly allocated to either Mastiha or Placebo for 6 months, as part of a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group clinical trial. The authors assess NAFLD severity via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning and LiverMultiScan technique and evaluate the effectiveness of Mastiha through medical, anthropometric, biochemical, metabolomic, and microbiota assessment. Mastiha is not superior to Placebo on changes in iron‐corrected T1 (cT1) and Liver Inflammation Fibrosis score (LIF) in entire patient population; however, after BMI stratification (BMI ≤ 35 kg m ‐2 and BMI > 35 kg m ‐2 ), severely obese patients show an improvement in cT1 and LIF in Mastiha versus Placebo. Mastiha increases dissimilarity of gut microbiota, as shown by the Bray‐Curtis index, downregulates Flavonifractor , a known inflammatory taxon and decreases Lysophosphatidylcholines‐(LysoPC) 18:1, Lysophosphatidylethanolamines‐(LysoPE) 18:1, and cholic acid compared to Placebo. Conclusion Mastiha supplementation improves microbiota dysbiosis and lipid metabolite levels in patients with NAFLD, although it reduces parameters of liver inflammation/fibrosis only in severely obese patients.