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Review
. 2020 Sep 30:11:572729.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.572729. eCollection 2020.

Chinese Medicinal Herbs Targeting the Gut-Liver Axis and Adipose Tissue-Liver Axis for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Treatments: The Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science

Shuwei Zhang  1 , Yui-Tung Wong  2 , Ka-Yu Tang  2 , Hiu-Yee Kwan  2 , Tao Su  1
Affiliations
Review

Chinese Medicinal Herbs Targeting the Gut-Liver Axis and Adipose Tissue-Liver Axis for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Treatments: The Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science

Shuwei Zhang et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex. Frontline western medicines only ameliorate the symptoms of NAFLD. On the contrary, the uniqueness of Chinese medicine in its interpretation of NAFLD and the holistic therapeutic approach lead to a promising therapeutic efficacy. Recent studies reveal that the gut-liver axis and adipose tissue-liver axis play important roles in the development of NAFLD. Interestingly, with advanced technology, many herbal formulae are found to target the gut-liver axis and adipose tissue-liver axis and resolve the inflammation in NAFLD. This is the first review summarizes the current findings on the Chinese herbal formulae that target the two axes in NAFLD treatment. This review not only demonstrates how the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine is being interpreted by modern pharmacological studies, but also provides valuable information for the further development of the herbal-based treatment for NAFLD.

Keywords: Chinese medicinal herbs; adipose tissue–liver axis; gut–liver axis; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; pathogenesis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Development of NAFLD and the current management.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A schematic diagram demonstrating the contribution of the gut–liver axis in NAFLD pathogenesis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A schematic diagram demonstrating the contribution of the adipose tissue–liver axis in NAFLD pathogenesis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
A schematic diagram demonstrating the treatment of NAFLD with Chinese medicine.
Figure 5
Figure 5
A schematic diagram of drug discovery for NAFLD treatment based on TCM-based network pharmacology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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