The increasing prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and the limited treatment options highlight the need for effective alternatives. Natural bioactive compounds are increasingly valued for their safety and multifunctional regulatory effects. 10-hydroxy-2(E)-decenoic acid (10-HDA), a unique fatty acid from royal jelly, exhibits diverse biological activities and potential benefits for liver health. In this study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of 10-HDA and its underlying mechanisms using palmitic acid/oleic acid-treated HepG2 cells and high-fat diet-induced golden hamsters. 10-HDA significantly reduced hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol contents, improved serum lipid profiles, and alleviated steatosis. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed 10-HDA regulates lipid homeostasis mainly through activating AMPK signaling and regulating cholesterol metabolism, including downregulation of   HMGCR, SORT1, and SOAT1, and upregulation of ABCG5/8 and CYP7A1. AMPKα knockdown abolished these effects, confirming its key role in mediating the metabolic benefits of 10-HDA.  These findings demonstrate that10-HDA protects against MASLD by modulating hepatic cholesterol metabolism via AMPK activation, highlighting its potential as a dietary bioactive compound for metabolic health.

As dietary habits and the quality of life change, the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has increased year by year and has become one of the major public health problems in the world. Due to the complexity of the disease, no drug has been approved for its treatment. Propolis is a natural gelatinous product with extensive pharmacological activities, which can be used in clinical treatment of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and other diseases. Studies have shown that propolis and its phenolic compounds have pharmacological activities such as hypolipidemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, making them promising in alleviating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, this article reviews recent studies on propolis and its phenolic compounds in alleviating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in order to provide a theoretical reference for research on the alleviative effect of propolis on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Fatty acids are distinctive components of royal jelly (RJ), serving as a crucial indicator for assessing the quality of RJ. This study aimed to establish a rapid and simultaneous quantification method for various fatty acids in RJ utilizing gas chromatography. An optimized two-step extraction process, incorporating ethanol and diethyl ether followed by derivatization with N,O-bis-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide, was developed to enhance sensitivity and precision in detecting fatty acids. Validation of the methodology revealed excellent linearity (R² > 0.999), precision (relative standard deviation (RSD) < 1%), repeatability (RSD < 1%), and recoveries (94.4%–104%). Furthermore, the limits of detection and quantification were found to be low. The results indicated that the method offered reliable and consistent quantification of major fatty acids, thereby improving quality control for RJ and facilitating its applications in food, pharmaceutical, and biochemical research.

The objective of this study was to investigate the structural and antioxidative properties of royal jelly protein (RJP) at different degrees of hydrolysis (DH) by partial enzymatic hydrolysis. RJP was hydrolyzed by alcalase for 0 min, 15 min, 1 h, 5 h and 8 h to obtain hydrolysates at DH of 5.34%, 11.65%, 15.19%, 21.38% and 23.91%, respectively. With the increased DH, the RJP hydrolysates showed elevated antioxidative activities. The molecular weight of RJP hydrolysates was significantly decreased but their primary backbone kept unchanged. Analysis of circular dichroism spectra revealed that the enzymolysis reduced the content of α-helix but increased the contents of β-sheet, β-turn and random coil. Meanwhile, the surface hydrophobicity and fluorescence intensity of RJP hydrolysates were decreased and a red shift occurred. As the enzymolysis continued, the surface morphology of RJP was gradually changed from a sheet-like structure into microparticles. Changes in antioxidative activities and structures generally followed a DH-dependent manner, however these changes became insignificant for samples at DH beyond 20%. Taking into consideration of both effectiveness and productivity, the optimum enzymatic duration was determined at 5 h.