Redondo‐Castillejo, RocíoHernández Martín, MarinaBocanegra De Juana, AranzazuMacho González, AdriánGarcía Fernández, Rosa AnaApaza Ticona, Luis NestorBastida Codina, SaraSánchez Muniz, Francisco JoséLópez-Oliva Muñoz, María ElviraGarcimartín Álvarez, AlbaBenedí González, Juana María2026-02-222026-02-222026Redondo‐Castillejo R, Hernández‐Martín M, Bocanegra A, et al. Silicon‐Enriched Restructured Meat Mitigates Metabolic Dysfunction‐Associated Steatohepatitis in a Late‐Stage Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rat Model. Molecular Nutrition Food Res 2026;70:e70404. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.704041613-412510.1002/mnfr.70404https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/132855Functional foods with antidiabetic and lipid-lowering properties may serve as a nutritional strategy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), especially when coexisting with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study evaluates whether the consumption of silicon-enriched restructured meat (Si-RM) could alleviate hepatic injury and metabolic disturbances in a late-stage T2DM rat model. Early-stage (ED, n = 8) and late-stage (LD, n = 16) T2DM were induced following a high-saturated-fat diet or a high-saturated-fat, high-cholesterol diet plus streptozotocin/nicotinamide injection, respectively, both diets containing a control meat. After confirming hyperglycemia, half of LD rats received Si-RM for 5 weeks (LD-Si, n = 8). Metabolic indices, liver histology, oxysterols, hepatic ChREBP/SREBP-1c, proliferation/apoptosis balance, and antioxidant defenses were assessed. LD rats developed clear histopathological and biochemical MASH. Si-RM consumption partially ameliorated these alterations, showing reduced lobular inflammation, improved serum oxysterol profile (decreased 25- and 27-hydroxycholesterols, increased 7-hydroxylated cholesterols), downregulated hepatic ChREBP, restored SREBP-1c, rebalanced proliferation to apoptosis ratio, and enhanced antioxidant defenses. Si-RM mitigated MASH severity and improved hepatic oxidative and metabolic status in a late-stage T2DM. These findings support the therapeutic potential of Si-RM as a promising and accessible nutritional adjuvant strategy against MASHengjournal article1613-4133https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.7040441645689https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41645689/restricted access641612.019591.1615.01/.03ChREBP/SREBP‑1c signalingAntioxidant defensesOxysterolsProliferation to apoptosis ratio;Silicon‐functional meatDietética y nutrición (Farmacia)Farmacología (Farmacia)Fisiología animal (Farmacia)3206 Ciencias de la Nutrición