The present paper reports a sustainable raw material obtained from the by-products derived from the industrial production of bergamot (Citrus × Bergamia Risso & Poiteau) essential oils. The procedure to obtain the raw material is designed to maintain as much of the bioactive components as possible and to avoid expensive chemical purification. It consists of spray-drying the fruit juice obtained by squeezing the fruits, which is mixed with the aqueous extract of the pulp, i.e., the solid residue remained after fruit pressing. The resulting powder bergamot juice (PBJ) contains multiple bioactive components, in particular, among others, soluble fibers, polyphenols and amino-acid betaines, such as stachydrine and betonicine. LC-MS analysis identified 86 compounds, with hesperetin, naringenin, apigenin and eridictyol glucosides being the main components. In the second part of the paper, dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity of PBJ and of stachydrine was found, but neither of the compounds were effective in activating Nrf2. PBJ was then found to be effective in an in vivo model of a metabolic syndrome induced by a high-sugar, high-fat (HSF) diet and evidenced by a significant increase of the values related to a set of parameters: blood glucose, triglycerides, insulin resistance, systolic blood pressure, visceral adipose tissue and adiposity index. PBJ, when given to control rats, did not significantly change these values; in contrast, they were found to be greatly affected in rats receiving an HSF diet. The in vivo effect of PBJ can be ascribed not only to bergamot polyphenols with well-known anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and lipid-regulating effects, but also to the dietary fibers and to the non-phenolic constituents, such as stachydrine. Moreover, since PBJ was found to affect energy homeostasis and to regulate food intake, a mechanism on the regulation of energy homeostasis through leptin networking should also be considered and deserves further investigation.

The excessive consumption of diets rich in sugar and fat is associated with metabolic manifestations involving adipose tissue and the liver. Bergamot, due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has been used to treat metabolic disorders. This work aimed to verify the effect of Bergamot leaves extract (BLE) on the crosstalk in the adipose tissue–liver axis of obese rats. For 20 weeks, Wistar rats were distributed into two groups: control (Control) and high sugar–fat (HSF) diet groups. Afterwards, the animals were redistributed into three groups for 10 weeks: control diet + vehicle (Control, n = 08), HSF + vehicle (HSF, n = 08), and HSF + BLE (HSF + BLE, n = 08). The BLE was carried out daily by gavage (50 mg/kg). The HSF group presented obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, hepatic microvesicular steatosis, higher inflammation and oxidative stress in the liver and adipose tissue. In comparison to the HSF group, HSF + BLE animals showed protection by reducing the triglyceride levels, insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidative stress in hepatic and adipose tissues. BLE acted on the inflammation and oxidative stress in the adipose tissue–liver axis in obese rats when compared to the HSF group, which may have reflected on the improvement of insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.

The high consumption of simple carbohydrates and saturated fat is associated with a positive energy balance and fat accumulation. This scenario has been co

Oxidative stress is involved in pathophysiological mechanisms associated with a myriad of liver diseases. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) leaves yield a high level of antioxidant polyphenolic compounds that may hinder the development of liver diseases, while their potential is yet to be fully explored. Thus, the aim of the study was to test the effects of bergamot leaf extract (BLE) on hepatic and mitochondrial oxidative stress in different models. In vivo study: Wistar rats were distributed into two groups: control diet (C) and high-sugar–fat diet (HSF) for twenty weeks. Afterward, the animals were redivided to initiate a ten-week treatment with BLE: C, HSF, and HSF+BLE. In vitro study: Rat hepatic mitochondria were isolated by differential centrifugation and used to assess safety and efficacy of the BLE. Hepatocyte monolayer and spheroids were applied to evaluate the safety of physiologically plausible BLE concentrations and their effects on hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity. The results showed that BLE improved metabolic parameters, reduced hepatic triglyceride levels, malondialdehyde, and increased catalase activity in vivo. In vitro, BLE decreased lipid peroxidation and increased the ratio of reduced and oxidized glutathione in chemically challenged mitochondria. BLE did not exert cytotoxicity in the hepatocyte monolayer and spheroids, while attenuated oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity. Data indicate that in vivo and in vitro hepatic oxidative stress is modulated by BLE, reinforcing that BLE may act as an agent against chronic liver diseases.