Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly prevalent in developed countries and is considered one of the main causes of cryptogenic cirrhosis and chronic liver disease. Obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, and hypertension cardiovascular disease stand as the risk factors for NAFLD. Insulin resistance, lipid metabolism dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis often are associated with NAFLD. 

NAFLD can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) triggered by inflammation and steatosis. Thus amelioration of steatosis and inflammation is crucial for NAFLD therapy. Herbal medicine has shown potential in improving steatosis and inflammation.

Herbal medicine has benefitted in lipid metabolism dysfunction, insulin resistance, fibrosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis-associated with NAFLD by ameliorating or reducing fat mass, insulin resistance, serum level of FFA, AST, and ALT, hepatic lipid accumulation and fibrosis, hepatic oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and apoptosis. 

Herbal medicines, when combined with other interventions, have demonstrated superior effects than single interference alone. Like two anti-dyslipidemia herb formulas (Fenofibrate and xuezhikang) used for treating NAFLD and combining Fructus Schisandrae with statin have shown anti-oxidative effects and inhibitory effects against liver toxicity. 

Thus, herbal medicine supplements, when combined with other therapeutic approaches can benefit patients with NAFLD greatly.

Source: Front. Pharmacol. 2020;11:601. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00601