Bioprocessed black rice bran protects mice against alcohol-induced fatty liver formation

Authors: KWON, KI SUN - Str Biotech Co Ltd; IN, SU A - Str Biotech Co Ltd; LEE, WHA - Str Biotech Co Ltd; KIM, JEANMAN - Ajou University Of Korea; LEE, SANG - Str Biotech Co Ltd; KIM, SUNG PHIL - Str Biotech Co Ltd; Friedman, Mendel

Submitted to: Food and Function
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/4/2025
Publication Date: 7/16/2025
Citation: Kwon, K., In, S., Lee, W.Y., Kim, J., Lee, S.J., Kim, S., Friedman, M. 2025. Bioprocessed black rice bran protects mice against alcohol-induced fatty liver formation. Food and Function. (16):6547-6559. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5FO01151E.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5FO01151E

Interpretive Summary: Alcohol is a food with an energy content of about 4 calories/g, similar to the sugar glucose. It is prepared by fermentation of grains, grapes and other foods to produce low-alcohol beer and wine and by distillation high-alcohol bourbon, gin, and vodka. A linear correlation seems to exist between the amount and duration of alcohol use and the development of liver diseases. About 20g of alcohol in women and 60g in men can cause liver damage when consumed daily for several years; consumption of 60g/day for 2 to 4 weeks produces fatty liver and of 160g/day over a decade, liver cirrhosis, which can lead to cancer and mortality. In addition to obesity and liver damage, alcohol affects behavior, raises blood pressure and heart rate, increases the risk of stroke and of several types of cancer. An evaluation of 465,437 individuals in the UK Biobank suggests that obesity amplified the harmful effect of alcohol on the incidence of liver disease and mortality. Because recent reviews on available therapies suggest the need for new studies to ameliorate adverse effects of alcohol-induced liver damage, we evaluated a functional food derived from bioprocessed black rice bran to protect mice against alcohol-induced fatty liver. The results show that the dietary protection was enhanced by co-administration with silymarin, a plant phenolic compound previously reported to be active against fatty livers. The present study complements our previously reported study on the inhibition of alcohol-induced hangovers in mice and rats by bioprocessed black rice bran with added natural antioxidant reduced glutathione. These beneficial effects need to be confirmed in human clinical studies.

Technical Abstract: Following consumption, alcohol is absorbed from the digestive tract into the circulation and is then distributed into different organs. In the liver, it causes a range of injuries beginning with induction of fatty liver (hepatic steatosis) which on further alcohol consumption progresses to liver cirrhosis that can result in cancer and mortality. On the basis of a series of our previous published studies that showed that black rice-based functional foods have multi-functional health benefits in rodents, including protection of mice and rats against inflammation and alcohol-induced hangovers, we were motivated to determine the protective effect of a polysaccharide-containing bioprocessed (fermented) black rice bran product (BRB-F) to prevent alcohol-induced liver damage. BRB-F prevented dietary alcohol-induced increases in both liver and in liver fat weights, serum levels of hepatic enzymes and bilirubin, oxidized liver glutathione, and proinflammatory serum and adipocyte cytokines. Dietary BRB-F with added silymarin, a plant phenolic anti-inflammatory agent, increased the prevention of fatty liver formation. It also prevented direct toxicity of HepG2 liver cells in culture by reduced reactive oxygen species. Mechanistic aspects and suggestions for further research are discussed. The ability of BRB-F alone or with silymarin, to protect mice against alcohol-induced liver damage merits confirmation in human clinical studies.