Differential Effects of Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia stricta var. dillenii Extracts on Liver Steatosis in a Murine Dietary Model

Besné-Eseverri, Irene; Benito, Denis; Fisico-Echezarraga, Miren; Arán-González, Miguel; Cano, M. Pilar; Portillo, María P.; Trepiana, Jenifer

doi:10.3390/nu18030420

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Differential Effects of Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia stricta var. dillenii Extracts on Liver Steatosis in a Murine Dietary Model

by

Irene Besné-Eseverri

^1,2

,

Denis Benito

³,

Miren Fisico-Echezarraga

¹,

Miguel Arán-González

⁴

,

M. Pilar Cano

⁵

,

María P. Portillo

^1,2,6

and

Jenifer Trepiana

^1,2,6,*

¹

Nutrition and Obesity Group, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Lucio Lascaray Research Centre, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

²

CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), Institute of Health Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain

³

CBET+ Research Group, Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology PiE-UPV/EHU, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Areatza z/g, 48620 Plentzia, Spain

⁴

Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Anatomía Patológica de Guipúzcoa, Hospital Universitario Donostia, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain

⁵

Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Food Functionality, Biotechnology and Food Microbiology Department, Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL) (CSIC-UAM), Nicolás Cabrera 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain

⁶

BIOARABA Health Research Institute, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nutrients 2026, 18(3), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18030420

Submission received: 6 December 2025 / Revised: 13 January 2026 / Accepted: 23 January 2026 / Published: 27 January 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutrition for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) Management: Current Perspectives from the Bench to the Bedside)

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Abstract

Background/Objectives: Metabolic-dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) is characterised by an excessive hepatic lipid accumulation. The present research aims to study the impact of an Opuntia stricta var. dillenii peel extract and an Opuntia ficus-indica var. colorada pulp extract, known for their high content of betalains and phenolic compounds, on the prevention of hepatic lipid accumulation in the liver of rats with steatosis. Methods: For this, MASLD was induced in 60 male Wistar rats by a high-fat high-fructose diet. They were supplemented with Opuntia stricta var. dillenii peel extract or Opuntia ficus-indica var. colorada pulp extract at 25 or 100 mg/kg body weight/d. Results: The high-fat high-fructose diet caused an increase in final body and liver weight, hepatic triglyceride (TG) content, and altered liver histology. The increase in hepatic TG was due to the rise in fatty acid uptake and the increased assembly of TG, although increased de novo lipogenesis cannot be ruled out. The treatment with a low dose of Opuntia ficus-indica var. colorada pulp extract (L-OFI group) significantly prevented hepatic TG accumulation, and the high dose (H-OFI group) showed a tendency towards lower values compared to the rats fed the high-fat high-fructose diet. The main mechanism of action appears to be a down-regulation of fatty acid uptake. By contrast, Opuntia stricta var. dillenii peel extract did not prevent the high-fat high-fructose diet-induced steatosis. Conclusions: Overall, Opuntia ficus-indica var. colorada pulp extract may represent a potential strategy for MASLD prevention, although its beneficial effects require confirmation in human studies.

Keywords: MASLD; steatosis; Opuntia ficus-indica var. colorada; Opuntia stricta var. dillenii; lipogenesis de novo

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MDPI and ACS Style

Besné-Eseverri, I.; Benito, D.; Fisico-Echezarraga, M.; Arán-González, M.; Cano, M.P.; Portillo, M.P.; Trepiana, J. Differential Effects of Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia stricta var. dillenii Extracts on Liver Steatosis in a Murine Dietary Model. Nutrients 2026, 18, 420. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18030420

AMA Style

Besné-Eseverri I, Benito D, Fisico-Echezarraga M, Arán-González M, Cano MP, Portillo MP, Trepiana J. Differential Effects of Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia stricta var. dillenii Extracts on Liver Steatosis in a Murine Dietary Model. Nutrients. 2026; 18(3):420. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18030420

Chicago/Turabian Style

Besné-Eseverri, Irene, Denis Benito, Miren Fisico-Echezarraga, Miguel Arán-González, M. Pilar Cano, María P. Portillo, and Jenifer Trepiana. 2026. "Differential Effects of Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia stricta var. dillenii Extracts on Liver Steatosis in a Murine Dietary Model" Nutrients 18, no. 3: 420. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18030420

APA Style

Besné-Eseverri, I., Benito, D., Fisico-Echezarraga, M., Arán-González, M., Cano, M. P., Portillo, M. P., & Trepiana, J. (2026). Differential Effects of Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia stricta var. dillenii Extracts on Liver Steatosis in a Murine Dietary Model. Nutrients, 18(3), 420. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18030420

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Differential Effects of Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia stricta var. dillenii Extracts on Liver Steatosis in a Murine Dietary Model

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