Effects of Celastrol-Enriched Peanuts on Metabolic Health and the Development of Atherosclerosis

作者：Jiaxin Shi, Yitong Cheng, Chenxuan Wang, Min Liu, Mingxuan Qu, Shuaishuai Zhou, Leon Chen, Xiaohao Li, Junjie Luo, Yongting Luo, Chao Luo, Peng An · 发表于：Nutrients · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/nu17091418 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Natural Compounds in Disease Treatment、Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders Research、Andrographolide Research and Applications

Background: Celastrol, a pentacyclic triterpenoid active component isolated from the root bark of the traditional medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii, displays significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. However, its clinical application remains limited due to inadequate bioavailability. Methods: Regarding these issues, we innovatively developed a novel peanut cultivar (cel-peanut) enriched with celastrol through distant hybridization combined with metabolomics screening. Guided by the research concept of “natural anti-inflammatory diets for metabolic disease management”, we established a high-fat diet-induced ApoE−/− atherosclerotic mouse model to systematically evaluate the anti-atherosclerosis effects and mechanisms of cel-peanut. Results: Our results revealed that cel-peanut significantly reduced serum levels of triglycerides (TGs) and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Concurrently, cel-peanut markedly decreased the atherosclerotic lesion area and enhanced collagen content within plaques. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that cel-peanut reduced serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and suppressed the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in atherosclerotic lesions. Furthermore, cel-peanut promoted intestinal health by modulating the composition and functionality of gut microbiota, thereby attenuating atherosclerosis progression. Conclusions: Overall, these findings indicate that cel-peanut exerts ther...