Nguyen_2025_NPJ.Sci.Food_9_27

Metabolic disorders encompass various dysregulations, such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, central obesity, atherogenic hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. Dyslipidemia refers to elevated levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, along with decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the blood. Dyslipidemia is closely associated with hypertension, which is one of the important risk factors for cardiovascular disease.In this study, an apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mouse model was utilized to investigate whether supplementation with steamed mature silkworm, known as HongJam, might ameliorate and have therapeutic effects on metabolic disorders and behavioral abnormalities observed in apoE(-/-) mice. The Golden Silk HongJam-supplemented feed-consuming (GSf)-apoE(-/-) mice showed recovery from the reduced spatial memory, social memory, and postural control ability observed in the normal feed-consuming (Nf)-apoE(-/-) mice. They also exhibited similar blood pressure to those in the normal feed-consuming C57BL/6J control (Nf-Con) group. Additionally, the significantly reduced activities of glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, acetylcholinesterase, and mitochondrial complexes I-IV in the Nf-apoE(-/-) group were restored in all GSf-apoE(-/-) groups. Furthermore, the amount of ATP in all GSf-apoE(-/-) mice was similar to or higher than that in the Nf-Con group.Taken together, GS HongJam supplementation may have preventive, ameliorative, and therapeutic effects on the symptoms of metabolic disorders caused by the loss of ApoE.