Effect of myrtle juice on nutritionally induced obesity

Obesity is a metabolic disorder resulting from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. It is characterized by an increase in fat mass and high blood lipid concentrations. Obesity is also associated with a state of oxidative stress, defined by an excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) relative to antioxidant defense systems. The aim of this study was to analyze the link between obesity-induced oxidative stress, hepatic steatosis, and cardiac dysfunction, as well as the protective effect of myrtle juice. Oxidative stress induced by a high-fat diet was assessed in the liver and heart, with particular attention paid to oxidative stress and components of the Fenton reaction. The high-fat diet induced an accumulation of cholesterol and triglycerides and disturbances in certain hepatic and cardiac functional parameters, while myrtle juice attenuated almost all of the disturbances induced by the high-fat diet. Hence its importance in controlling obesity.