The mechanism of action of a fat regulator: Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) stimulating fatty acid transmembrane and intracellular transport in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala)

High-fat diets are associated with fatty liver and aberrant hepatic lipid metabolism, and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) has been shown to exert a beneficial effect on lipolysis and fat deposition in fish. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of GA on the growth performance and expression of hepatic lipid transport related genes in blunt snout bream ( Megalobrama amblycephala) fed a high fat diet. Two hundred and sixteen fish (average body weight: 45.57 g ± 0.98 g) were fed three experimental diets (6% fat/L6 group, control, 11% fat/L11 group, and 11% fat with 0.3 mg kg −1 GA/L11GA group) for 8 weeks. Compared to the control group, the weight gain and specific growth rate of high-fat fed group at the end of the trialwere significantly improved ( P P > .05). Dietary supplementation with 0.3 mg kg −1 GA significantly decreased the hepatosomatic index, viscera/body ratio, and intraperitoneal fat ratio ( P P P > .05). In conclusion, GA significantly rescued high-fat diet induced hepatic lipid accumulation and metabolism dysfunction in M. amblycephala by stimulating hepatic fatty acid transport and β-oxidation. Dietary GA may be used as a promising supplement to alleviate high-fat diet induced side effects on M. amblycephala.