Camellia diacylglycerol oil attenuates atherosclerosis and NAFLD by modulating gut microbiota and lipid metabolism in ApoE-/- mice.

BACKGROUND

Camellia diacylglycerol oil (CDO), produced by enzymatic glycerolysis of camellia oil, is widely consumed as a functional food ingredient; however, its cardiovascular benefits remain insufficiently characterized. This study investigated the effects of CDO on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in ApoE-/- mice, with a particular focus on alterations in gut microbiota and metabolomic profiles.

RESULTS

Compared with the vehicle group, CDO supplementation (3 and 6 mL kg-1) reduced aortic plaque area by approximately 50% without significantly affecting body weight in the mice. CDO treatment significantly decreased serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, at the same time as increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Notably, CDO administered at 3 mL kg-1 demonstrated greater efficacy than camellia oil in improving TG and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P < 0.05). Furthermore, CDO supplementation significantly alleviated hepatic histopathological injury, reduced Oil Red O-positive lipid deposition and lowered hepatic TG and TC levels compared to the vehicle group. Gut microbiota analysis revealed a decreased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and increased relative abundances of Roseburia and Faecalibaculum in CDO-treated mice. Metabolomic profiling further identified ether lipid metabolism and bile acid-related pathways as potential mediators of the metabolic improvements-induced by CDO.

CONCLUSION

CDO was more effective than camellia oil in mitigating HFD-induced atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in ApoE-/- mice, most likely through coordinated modulation of the gut-liver-vascular axis. These findings support the potential of CDO as a functional food ingredient for cardiovascular risk reduction and warrant further validation in human studies. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.