Kaempferol prevents the progression from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway in oleic acid-induced HepG2 cells and high-fat diet-induced rats

Abstract

Currently, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide, and more functional foods are needed for NAFLD prevention and treatment. Kaempferol can be obtained from tea, broccoli, propolis, grapefruit and other green plants. However, relatively systematic studies concerning the preventative effects of kaempferol against NAFLD are lacking. In this study, using network pharmacological methods, we found that kaempferol could prevent the development of NAFLD by targeting multiple targets; for instance, kaempferol suppressed inflammation, improved insulin resistance and reduced oxidative stress. Furthermore, we confirmed that kaempferol could suppress inflammatory responses and prevent the development of NAFLD in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the nuclear transcriptional activity of NF-κB. Our study supports the use of kaempferol as a functional food or dietary supplement for NAFLD prevention and treatment. In addition, this study could be beneficial for understanding the anti-NAFLD mechanism of many other flavonoids.