Zhang WY, Wang MH, Xie C. Potential of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A promising future. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30(43): 4597-4601 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i43.4597]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Chuan Xie, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, No. 17 Yongwaizheng Street, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China. xcsghhz@ncu.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 21, 2024; 30(43): 4597-4601 Published online Nov 21, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i43.4597
Potential of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A promising future
Wen-Yige Zhang, Meng-Hui Wang, Chuan Xie
Wen-Yige Zhang, Meng-Hui Wang, Chuan Xie, Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Wen-Yige Zhang, Queen Mary College of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Co-first authors: Wen-Yige Zhang and Meng-Hui Wang.
Author contributions: Zhang WY and Wang MH wrote the manuscript; Xie C revised the manuscript; All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported byNational Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82100599 and No. 81960112; Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology, No. 20242BAB26122; Science and Technology Plan of Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 2023Z021; and Project of Jiangxi Provincial Academic and Technical Leaders Training Program for Major Disciplines, No. 20243BCE51001.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Chuan Xie, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, No. 17 Yongwaizheng Street, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China. xcsghhz@ncu.edu.cn
Received: August 27, 2024 Revised: October 21, 2024 Accepted: October 24, 2024 Published online: November 21, 2024 Processing time: 65 Days and 18.5 Hours
Abstract
In this editorial, we provide insights into the publication by Niu et al featured in the latest edition of the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Specifically, our focus was on exploring the potential of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high-fat diet through various mechanisms. NAFLD is a common liver condition, affecting approximately 25% of the world's population. It is closely linked to metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, excessive body weight, and irregular lipid processing, leading to fat accumulation in the liver, as well as oxidative stress and inflammation. While maintaining a healthy diet and active lifestyle are essential for managing NAFLD, treatment options are limited due to undefined pathogenesis and a lack of specific medications. TCM, rooted in traditional Chinese practices, presents a promising alternative through its "syndrome differentiation and treatment" principles, enhancing liver lipid metabolism, reducing inflammation, and addressing fibrosis. Certain herbs, such as Poria cocos, Puaria lobata, and Salvia miltiorrhiza, have shown significant efficacy in reducing fat deposition and improving liver function. Due to systematic research and analysis of mechanisms, TCM is anticipated to yield new approaches to prevent and treat NAFLD, increasing its clinical application.
Core Tip: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has the highest global prevalence among chronic liver diseases, and to date, treatment options have been limited. Owing to their multicomponent and comprehensive conditioning characteristics, traditional Chinese medicine has garnered attention for its potential to improve liver lipid metabolism, alleviate liver oxidative stress damage, and mitigate the inflammatory response. In recent years, a growing body of research has demonstrated the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine in treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease induced by a high-fat diet, making it a significant area for new drug development and an indispensable component of modern medicine.
