The use of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A review

Abstract

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is gradually becoming one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. Compared to chemical drugs, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has significant advantages in the treatment of NAFLD owing to its long history, remarkable efficacy, and low toxicity. Methods: The scientific databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI) were searched using the keywords of NAFLD, TCM, lipid metabolism, high-fat diet, bupleurum decoction, Yinchenhao decoction, Shugan Jiangzhi granules, Shugan Jianpi Jiangzhuo decoction, GanShuang granules, Gegen Qinlian decoction, bupleurum, Yinchen, Jiaogulan, Huangqin, Gegen, Baizhu, flavonoids, baicalein, luteolin, kaempferol, quercetin, apigenin, isorhamnetin, hesperidin, icariin, rutin, soy isoflavones, puerarin, phlorizin, total flavonoids from hawthorn leaves, and total flavonoids from buckwheat flowers and leaves to overview the pathogenesis and treatment of NAFLD. Results: This review explained the causes of NAFLD, including factors like lipotoxicity, insulin resistance, ER stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, gut dysbiosis, and inflammation. Furthermore, the review provided a thorough overview of the effects and mechanisms of TCM in the treatment of NAFLD. This included an analysis of six TCM formulas, six single herbs, and 14 flavonoids derived from TCM. Discussion: TCM has proven to be highly effective in the treatment of NAFLD, with numerous Chinese medicine formulas and individual herbs being commonly used in clinical practice. The active components in these TCM, flavonoids, have demonstrated significant biological effects in addressing NAFLD. Conclusion: TCM has the potential to greatly enhance the treatment of NAFLD with minimal adverse reactions. Given these results, we are confident that TCM holds promising opportunities for the management of NAFLD and can offer valuable perspectives for future research.

Keywords

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Molecular mechanism
• Chinese medicine formulas
• Single herbs
• Flavonoids