Nie WY, Ye Y, Tong HX, Hu JQ. Herbal medicine as a potential treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(9): 100273 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i9.100273]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Hong-Xuan Tong, PhD, Research Assistant, Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 16 Nanxiao Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100700, China. thongxuan1@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
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. Mar 7, 2025; 31(9): 100273 Published online Mar 7, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i9.100273
Herbal medicine as a potential treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Wen-Yi Nie, Yang Ye, Hong-Xuan Tong, Jing-Qing Hu
Wen-Yi Nie, Jing-Qing Hu, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, Jilin Province, China
Yang Ye, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
Hong-Xuan Tong, Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
Jing-Qing Hu, China Science and Technology Development Center for Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100027, China
Co-first authors: Wen-Yi Nie and Yang Ye.
Co-corresponding authors: Hong-Xuan Tong and Jing-Qing Hu.
Author contributions: Nie WY and Ye Y contribute equally to this study as co-first authors; Tong HX and Hu JQ contribute equally to this study as co-corresponding authors; Nie WY and Ye Y wrote the first draft of the manuscript; Ye Y and Tong HX contributed to review and editing; Tong HX and Hu JQ conceived, reviewed, and revised this paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
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: Hong-Xuan Tong, PhD, Research Assistant, Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 16 Nanxiao Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100700, China. thongxuan1@163.com
Received: August 12, 2024 Revised: January 6, 2025 Accepted: January 18, 2025 Published online: March 7, 2025 Processing time: 190 Days and 5.1 Hours
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a global public health concern, affecting over one-quarter of the global population. It is closely associated with the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Current treatment options for NAFLD are limited and often have side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a promising alternative with its holistic approach and use of multi-component herbal formulations. A recent study explored the potential of the TCM formula, "Fanlian Huazhuo Formula (FLHZF)", to alleviate high-fat diet-induced NAFLD by regulating autophagy and lipid synthesis signaling pathways. TCM has shown advantages in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD due to its efficacy and minimal side effects. However, the complex multicomponent and multitarget characteristics of formulas such as FLHZF present challenges in research. Future studies should focus on utilizing modern techniques to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of action and active ingredients of Chinese herbal medicines, thereby promoting their modernization.
Core Tip: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excessive liver fat accumulation linked to metabolic syndrome. The progression from steatosis to steatohepatitis involves inflammation, injury, and fibrosis. Current treatments focus on lifestyle changes and metabolic management, highlighting the need for novel therapies. Niu et al showed promising results for the Fanlian Huazhuo Formula, a traditional Chinese medicine used for treating NAFLD. This study reviews the strengths, limitations, and directions of future research.
