Dietary fiber of jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus L) tuber exerts hepatoprotective effect against high-sugar drinks in mice

Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus, family Fabaceae) is a potent medicinal plant. Although extensive studies report the health benefits of jicama extract, few studies have investigated the efficacy of its dietary fiber in preventing metabolic diseases, including liver disease. The present study aimed to elucidate whether dietary fiber obtained from the jicama tuber counteracts the development of liver disease induced by high-sugar drinks.

Twenty-four adult male mice (DDY strain; 2 months old with bodyweight 22-25 g) were randomized into three groups: normal drink (ND), fed with tap water and standard chow; high-sucrose drink (HSD), fed with a high-sucrose drink and standard chow; and high-sucrose drink plus standard chow with 25% jicama fiber (HSD + JF 25%). After the mice were on their respective diets for ten weeks, the following parameters were measured: body weight, liver weight, malondialdehyde (MDA), histopathological alterations, blood glucose, and serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (SGPT).

Mice in the HSD + JF 25% group had significantly lower body weight (P < 0.01), liver weight (P<0.05), MDA (P<0.01), blood glucose (P<0.01), and SGPT (P<0.01) compared to those in the HSD group. They also had fewer histopathological alterations in the liver, as demonstrated by a lower proportion of degenerated cells and an overall lower histopathological score than those in the HSD group (P<0.05).

Adding jicama fiber (25% of standard chow) mitigates the increase in blood glucose and body weight and histopathological changes in the liver induced by high-sucrose drinks, showing liver protective activity.