Bergamot leaf extract may protect the heart from damage related to obesity

Jenn Hoskins
26th October, 2025

Bergamot leaf extract may protect the heart from damage related to obesity

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a citrus fruit whose essential oil is used for pharmaceutical and therapeutic purposes.

Photo adapted from: Ivar Leidus / CC BY SA (Source)

Key Findings

  • In obese rats fed a high-fat diet, researchers observed heart problems including changes in size and function, mirroring issues seen in humans with obesity
  • Bergamot leaf extract (BLE) treatment improved metabolic issues like insulin resistance and high triglycerides in obese rats
  • BLE supplementation reduced inflammation in the heart and restored a healthy balance of proteins involved in heart tissue structure, improving heart function
Obesity is a growing global health concern, often accompanied by a range of complications affecting multiple organ systems, notably the heart. A key issue in obesity-related heart problems is cardiac remodeling – changes in the heart’s structure and function. This process is driven, in part, by inflammation and alterations in the heart’s extracellular matrix (ECM), the network of proteins providing support and structure[2]. Researchers at UNESP, University of Milan, FIB, UNESP and UNOESTE investigated whether bergamot leaf extract (BLE) could help protect against this damage. The study focused on rats fed a high-sugar, high-fat diet to induce obesity, mirroring the metabolic disturbances seen in humans. After 20 weeks, these rats developed obesity, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels (dyslipidemia), high blood pressure (hypertension), and resistance to insulin – all hallmarks of metabolic syndrome. Critically, they also showed signs of cardiac remodeling and dysfunction, alongside increased inflammation within the heart[1]. To understand how BLE might intervene, the researchers divided the obese rats into two groups: one receiving BLE at a dose of 50mg/kg/day, and a control group receiving a placebo. The results demonstrated a significant positive effect of BLE. Rats treated with BLE showed improvements in dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, indicating a reversal of some of the metabolic issues caused by the high-fat diet. More importantly, BLE significantly improved cardiac remodeling and function, and reduced inflammation in the heart. The heart’s ECM plays a crucial role in maintaining its structure and function. It’s composed of proteins like collagen and is constantly being rebuilt through a balance of synthesis and breakdown. In heart disease, this balance is disrupted, leading to excessive collagen accumulation and fibrosis – scarring of the heart tissue[2]. The study found that obese rats had decreased levels of an enzyme called metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), which is responsible for breaking down collagen, and increased levels of type III collagen, a key component of the fibrotic scar tissue. BLE treatment restored MMP-2 levels and reduced type III collagen, suggesting it helps re-establish a healthy ECM balance. These findings align with previous research highlighting the potential of natural compounds to combat obesity-related cardiac dysfunction. For example, studies have shown that tomato-oleoresin supplementation can reduce cardiac inflammation and improve heart function in obese rats[3]. Similarly, rice bran supplementation has been found to mitigate cardiac damage and oxidative stress in obesity models[4]. Both studies demonstrate the importance of targeting inflammation as a key therapeutic strategy. Interestingly, another study[5] showed that leptin, a hormone often elevated in obesity, can directly contribute to cardiac fibrosis by promoting collagen synthesis through a process involving oxidative stress and the mTOR pathway. The current study with BLE doesn’t directly investigate leptin, but the observed reduction in inflammation and collagen accumulation suggests that BLE might act, at least in part, by counteracting the detrimental effects of leptin on the heart. Furthermore, the restoration of MMP-2 levels by BLE indicates a potential mechanism for regulating collagen turnover, a process also affected by leptin[5]. The research team’s findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of BLE are key to its protective effects on the heart. By modulating the expression of collagen and metalloproteinases, BLE appears to help restore a healthy ECM and prevent the progression of cardiac remodeling in obese rats.

HerbsHealthBiochem

References

Main Study

1) Anti-inflammatory effect of bergamot leaves extract attenuates cardiac remodeling in obese rats by regulating the protein expression of the collagen/metalloproteinase axis

Published 24th October, 2025

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0334015

Related Studies

2) Extracellular Matrix in Heart Disease: Focus on Circulating Collagen Type I and III Derived Peptides as Biomarkers of Myocardial Fibrosis and Their Potential in the Prognosis of Heart Failure: A Concise Review.

https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12040297

3) Tomato-Oleoresin Anti-Inflammatory Effect Recovers Obesity-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction by Modulating Myocardial Calcium Handling.

https://doi.org/10.33594/000000284

4) Rice (Oryza sativa L.) bran preserves cardiac function by modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and redox state in the myocardium from obese rats.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02691-0

5) Leptin induces cardiac fibrosis through galectin-3, mTOR and oxidative stress: potential role in obesity.

https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000000149


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