Department of Bioconvergence, Hoseo University, Asan 31499, Republic of Korea.
Clinical Trial Center for Functional Foods, Biomedical Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju 54907, Republic of Korea.
Nutrients. 2024 Sep 11;16(18):3061. doi: 10.3390/nu16183061.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disorder (MASLD) is increasingly prevalent globally, highlighting the need for preventive strategies and early interventions. This comprehensive review explores the potential of health functional foods (HFFs) to maintain healthy liver function and prevent MASLD through an integrative analysis of network pharmacology, gut microbiota, and multi-omics approaches. We first examined the biomarkers associated with MASLD, emphasizing the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. We then applied network pharmacology to identify food components with potential beneficial effects on liver health and metabolic function, elucidating their action mechanisms. This review identifies and evaluates strategies for halting or reversing the development of steatotic liver disease in the early stages, as well as biomarkers that can evaluate the success or failure of such strategies. The crucial role of the gut microbiota and its metabolites for MASLD prevention and metabolic homeostasis is discussed. We also cover state-of-the-art omics approaches, including transcriptomics, metabolomics, and integrated multi-omics analyses, in research on preventing MASLD. These advanced technologies provide deeper insights into physiological mechanisms and potential biomarkers for HFF development. The review concludes by proposing an integrated approach for developing HFFs targeting MASLD prevention, considering the Korean regulatory framework. We outline future research directions that bridge the gap between basic science and practical applications in health functional food development. This narrative review provides a foundation for researchers and food industry professionals interested in developing HFFs to support liver health. Emphasis is placed on maintaining metabolic balance and focusing on prevention and early-stage intervention strategies.
代谢相关脂肪性肝病（MASLD）在全球范围内日益普遍，凸显了预防策略和早期干预的必要性。本综述通过网络药理学、肠道微生物组和多组学方法的综合分析，探讨了健康功能性食品（HFF）在维持肝脏健康和预防 MASLD 方面的潜力。我们首先检查了与 MASLD 相关的生物标志物，强调了遗传、环境和生活方式因素的复杂相互作用。然后，我们应用网络药理学来识别对肝脏健康和代谢功能具有潜在有益作用的食物成分，阐明其作用机制。本综述确定并评估了在早期阶段阻止或逆转脂肪性肝病发展的策略，以及可评估此类策略成败的生物标志物。讨论了肠道微生物组及其代谢产物在预防 MASLD 和代谢平衡中的关键作用。我们还涵盖了转录组学、代谢组学和综合多组学分析等最先进的组学方法在预防 MASLD 研究中的应用。这些先进技术为 HFF 开发提供了对生理机制和潜在生物标志物的更深入了解。本综述最后提出了一种针对 MASLD 预防的 HFF 开发的综合方法，同时考虑了韩国的监管框架。我们概述了未来的研究方向，旨在弥合基础科学与健康功能性食品开发实际应用之间的差距。本综述为有兴趣开发 HFF 以支持肝脏健康的研究人员和食品行业专业人员提供了基础。重点是维持代谢平衡，并关注预防和早期干预策略。
