Abstract
The dysregulation of hepatic lipid metabolism is one of the hallmarks in many liver diseases including alcoholic liver diseases (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD). Hepatic inflammation, lipoperoxidative stress as well as the imbalance between lipid availability and lipid disposal, are direct causes of liver steatosis. The application of herbal medicines with anti-oxidative stress and lipid-balancing properties has been extensively attempted as pharmaceutical intervention for liver disorders in experimental and clinical studies. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying their hepatoprotective effects warrant further exploration, increasing evidence demonstrated that many herbal medicines are involved in regulating lipid accumulation processes including hepatic lipolytic and lipogenic pathways, such as mitochondrial and peroxisomal β-oxidation, the secretion of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), the non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) uptake, and some vital hepatic lipogenic enzymes. Therefore, in this review, the pathways or crucial mediators participated in the dysregulation of hepatic lipid metabolism are systematically summarized, followed by the current evidences and advances in the positive impacts of herbal medicines and natural products on the lipid metabolism pathways are detailed. Furthermore, several herbal formulas, herbs or herbal derivatives, such as Erchen Dection, Danshen, resveratrol, and berberine, which have been extensively studied for their promising potential in mediating lipid metabolism, are particularly highlighted in this review.
Highlights
Liver regulates lipid metabolism by three major processes: (1) uptake free fatty acids from circulation, and de novo fatty acid synthesis (FAS); (2) lipid storage, including converting fatty acids into triglyceride (TG) and other lipid droplets, which are subsequently exported to adipose tissue or stored in liver; and (3) lipid consumption, including lipolysis, b-oxidation, and the generation of lipoproteins (Reddy and Rao, 2006; Musso et al, 2009; Ponziani et al, 2015; Mato et al, 2019)
A variety of mechanisms have been demonstrated to be implicated in preventing hepatic steatosis, including reducing lipogenesis, enhancing b-oxidation, increasing insulin sensitivity, suppressing oxidative stress, and inhibiting activation of inflammatory pathways (Dong et al, 2012; Yao et al, 2016)
Increasing evidence indicated that many herbs, natural products, and their derived compounds could inhibit the progression of hepatic steatosis
Summary
Liver regulates lipid metabolism by three major processes: (1) uptake free fatty acids from circulation, and de novo fatty acid synthesis (FAS); (2) lipid storage, including converting fatty acids into triglyceride (TG) and other lipid droplets, which are subsequently exported to adipose tissue or stored in liver; and (3) lipid consumption, including lipolysis, b-oxidation, and the generation of lipoproteins (Reddy and Rao, 2006; Musso et al, 2009; Ponziani et al, 2015; Mato et al, 2019). As a matter of fact, there is currently no satisfying therapeutic drug for fatty liver diseases (Issa et al, 2018; Moctezuma-Velazquez, 2018)
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