School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, Shandong, China.
National Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Feb 20;14:1323261. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1323261. eCollection 2024.
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a chronic liver disease characterized by the excessive accumulation of fat in hepatocytes. However, due to the complex pathogenesis of MAFLD, there are no officially approved drugs for treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find safe and effective anti-MAFLD drugs. Recently, the relationship between the gut microbiota and MAFLD has been widely recognized, and treating MAFLD by regulating the gut microbiota may be a new therapeutic strategy. Natural products, especially plant natural products, have attracted much attention in the treatment of MAFLD due to their multiple targets and pathways and few side effects. Moreover, the structure and function of the gut microbiota can be influenced by exposure to plant natural products. However, the effects of plant natural products on MAFLD through targeting of the gut microbiota and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Based on the above information and to address the potential therapeutic role of plant natural products in MAFLD, we systematically summarize the effects and mechanisms of action of plant natural products in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD through targeting of the gut microbiota. This narrative review provides feasible ideas for further exploration of safer and more effective natural drugs for the prevention and treatment of MAFLD.
代谢相关脂肪性肝病（MAFLD）是一种以肝细胞脂肪过度堆积为特征的慢性肝病。然而，由于 MAFLD 的发病机制复杂，目前尚无官方批准的治疗药物。因此，迫切需要寻找安全有效的抗 MAFLD 药物。最近，肠道微生物群与 MAFLD 的关系已得到广泛认可，通过调节肠道微生物群来治疗 MAFLD 可能是一种新的治疗策略。天然产物，特别是植物天然产物，由于其多靶点和多途径以及副作用少，在治疗 MAFLD 方面引起了广泛关注。此外，植物天然产物的暴露可以影响肠道微生物群的结构和功能。然而，植物天然产物通过靶向肠道微生物群对 MAFLD 的影响及其潜在机制尚不清楚。基于上述信息，并为了探讨植物天然产物在 MAFLD 治疗中的潜在治疗作用，我们系统地综述了植物天然产物通过靶向肠道微生物群预防和治疗 MAFLD 的作用和作用机制。本综述为进一步探索更安全、更有效的天然药物预防和治疗 MAFLD 提供了可行的思路。
