Cashew Nut Oil Improves Lipid Metabolism and Fat Liver Deposition in High-Fat Diet-Fed C57BL/6J Mice

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Aria

Cashew nut oil was evaluated for metabolic effects in C57BL/6J mice challenged with a high-fat diet. After 12 weeks on high fat, animals received cashew nut oil, soybean oil, or lard for another 12 weeks, with diets analyzed for fatty-acid composition. Cashew nut oil, enriched in oleic acid, reduced blood glucose, triglycerides, uric acid, and liver steatosis, while enhancing SOD expression/activity and catalase activity. Soybean oil lowered glucose, total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and steatosis, and both plant oils showed broader benefits over animal fat. Benefits were linked to reduced hepatic fat accumulation and oxidative stress, potentially supported by phenolic antioxidant compounds and overall fatty-acid quality.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Background: high-fat diet and metabolic risk

Fatty acids and metabolic/oxidative effects

Saturated vs unsaturated fatty acids in diet

Lipids ORIGINAL ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS Cashew Nut Oil Improves Lipid Metabolism and Fat Liver Deposition in High-Fat Diet-Fed C57BL/6J Mice Marcella Duarte Villas Mishima1 | Andressa Ladeira Bernardes1 | Carlos Alexandre Pinheiro1 | Luisa Gouveia Lana1 | Iasmim Xisto Campos1 | Valéria Silva de Lana2 | Izabela Maria Montezano de Carvalho2 | Patrícia Fontes Pinheiro3 | Renata Celi Lopes Toledo4 | Ana Paula Dionísio5 | Helen Hermana Hermsdorff6,7 | Maria do Carmo Gouveia Peluzio1 1Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil | 2Laboratory Food Analysis, Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil | 3Department of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil | 4Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition, Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil | 5Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, Fortaleza, Brazil | 6Laboratory of Clinical Analysis and Genomics, Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil | 7Laboratory of Energy Metabolism and Body Composition, Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil Correspondence: Marcella Duarte Villas Mishima ([marcella_villas@hotmail.com](marcella_villas@hotmail.com)) Received: 14 April 2025 | Revised: 7 October 2025 | Accepted: 9 October 2025 Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. Keywords: Annacardium occidentale L. | lipid profile | metabolic effects | oleic acid | unsaturated fatty acid | vegetable oil ABSTRACT Cashew nut oil adds value to the production chain of this Brazilian oilseed. It is a good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and bioactive compounds, such as phenolics. This study investigated the effects of cashew nut oil on the metabolism of animals subjected to a high-fat diet. C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet (12 weeks), then switched to diets containing cashew nut oil, soybean oil, or lard (12 weeks). Diets were characterized for their fatty acid profile. General parameters, metabolic markers, oxidative stress, gene expression, and liver steatosis were evaluated. Oleic acid was predominant in the cashew nut oil-added diet, linoleic acid in the soybean oil-added diet, and palmitic acid in the lard-added diet. Cashew nut oil reduced blood glucose, triglycerides, uric acid, and liver steatosis, and increased SOD expression and activity and catalase activity. Soybean oil reduced blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver steatosis. Both vegetable oils, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, demonstrated more benefits than animal fat. Cashew nut oil effects may be mediated by the reduction of hepatic fat accumulation and oxidative stress, leading to lower triglyceride levels, improved insulin signaling, and decreased uric acid, probably due to its fatty acid composition, rich in oleic acid. Phenolic compounds may enhance its antioxidant capacity. The quality of fatty acids and the bioactive compounds is a determinant of the metabolic effect of oils. Cashew nut oil may improve lipid metabolism, reduce liver steatosis, and enhance antioxidant effects. 1 | Introduction Chronic consumption of a high-fat diet provides higher dietary energy density, elevated serum free fatty acids, and expanded adipose tissue. The excessive accumulation of white adipose tissue is associated with a range of metabolic abnormalities that predispose individuals to the development of conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and insulin resistance (Kojta et al. 2020; | Abbreviations: CAT, catalase; FAME, fatty acid methyl esters; GC, gas chromatograph; GLUT, glucose transporter; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; IRS-1, insulin receptor substrate 1; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MASLD, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease; MDA, malondialdehyde; mRNA, messe

FAQs

How were the mice diets designed in the study?

C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks, then switched for 12 more weeks to diets containing cashew nut oil, soybean oil, or lard. Fatty-acid profiles of the diets were characterized.

What main metabolic improvements did cashew nut oil produce?

Cashew nut oil reduced blood glucose, triglycerides, uric acid, and liver steatosis, and increased antioxidant-related SOD expression/activity and catalase activity.

How did soybean oil compare with cashew nut oil and lard?

Soybean oil reduced blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver steatosis. Both vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids showed more benefits than animal fat (lard).

What mechanisms does the study propose for the benefits of cashew nut oil?

The benefits may involve reduced hepatic fat accumulation and oxidative stress, leading to lower triglycerides, improved insulin signaling, and decreased uric acid, potentially supported by an oleic-acid-rich fatty-acid composition and phenolic compounds that enhance antioxidant capacity.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Aria