Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Szamarzewskiego 82/84, 60-569 Poznan, Poland.
Doctoral School, Poznan University od Medical Sciences, Fredry St. 10, 61-701 Poznan, Poland.
Nutrients. 2022 Aug 23;14(17):3459. doi: 10.3390/nu14173459.
The incidence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has been rapidly increasing during the last decade. It is a relevant health problem that affects 25% of the general population. NAFLD involves an extensive array of clinical conditions. So far, no approved pharmacological therapy for NAFLD has been developed. Multiple bioactive compounds have been proposed to treat NAFLD. One of the most promising is Berberine (BBR). Its pleiotropic effect positively impacts various cardiometabolic aspects. In this review, we summarize NAFLD, its metabolic and cardiovascular complications, the hepatoprotective effects of BBR due to its broad spectrum of pharmacological effects, and the potential role of BBR in NAFLD therapy. BBR ameliorates NAFLD by affecting numerous abnormalities. It inhibits lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis, improves insulin resistance and lipid profile, and modulates gut microbiota. The exact mechanism underlying these effects is not yet entirely explained. A growing amount of evidence confirming the positive effects of BBR on multiple metabolic pathways, such as lipids and glucose metabolism, energy homeostasis, or gut microbiota modulation, allows us to speculate about the importance of this natural bioactive substance for NAFLD therapy.
在过去的十年中，非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）的发病率迅速上升。这是一个严重的健康问题，影响了 25%的普通人群。NAFLD 涉及广泛的临床病症。到目前为止，还没有开发出针对 NAFLD 的批准的药物治疗方法。已经提出了多种生物活性化合物来治疗 NAFLD。其中最有前途的是小檗碱（BBR）。其多效作用对各种心血管代谢方面产生积极影响。在这篇综述中，我们总结了 NAFLD 及其代谢和心血管并发症、BBR 的肝保护作用，因为它具有广泛的药理作用，以及 BBR 在 NAFLD 治疗中的潜在作用。BBR 通过影响许多异常来改善 NAFLD。它抑制脂肪生成和糖异生，改善胰岛素抵抗和脂质谱，并调节肠道微生物群。这些作用的确切机制尚未完全解释清楚。越来越多的证据证实 BBR 对多种代谢途径（如脂质和葡萄糖代谢、能量平衡或肠道微生物群调节）的积极影响，使我们可以推测这种天然生物活性物质对 NAFLD 治疗的重要性。
