The Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicines Regulate the Multi-Target Signaling Pathways of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease

Author: mycolabadmin
4/9/2025
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Summary

This comprehensive review examines how traditional Chinese medicine ingredients can treat fatty liver disease through multiple biological pathways simultaneously. Unlike conventional drugs that target a single pathway, TCM compounds address the complex, interconnected causes of the disease including fat accumulation, inflammation, and tissue damage. The research identifies dozens of effective herbal compounds and proposes a new framework for designing TCM treatments tailored to individual patient needs.

Background

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is characterized by hepatocyte lipid accumulation driven by systemic metabolic dysregulation and represents a critical global health challenge. Current single-target pharmacological interventions show limited efficacy and adverse effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulations offer multi-component and multi-target approaches for systemic metabolic regulation.

Objective

To construct a cross-scale regulatory network for MAFLD treatment using active components of TCM by evaluating multiple mechanisms and screening dynamic target groups. The study proposes a new paradigm of mechanism-oriented and spatiotemporal-optimized design for TCM compound prescriptions to develop precise therapies.

Results

The analysis identified numerous TCM active ingredients with multi-target effects on MAFLD pathways. Key findings include compounds targeting AMPK/SIRT1/FXR pathways (quercetin, berberine), Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathways, NF-κB inflammatory pathways, and mechanisms regulating hepatocyte autophagy, apoptosis, and mitochondrial function. TCM components demonstrated superior multi-target regulation compared to single-target drugs.

Conclusion

The multi-component and multi-target nature of TCM active ingredients provides a promising therapeutic approach for MAFLD that addresses the nonlinear progression and concurrent pathological mechanisms better than conventional single-target interventions. A mechanism-oriented, spatiotemporal-optimized TCM prescription design offers a theoretical framework for developing precise therapies improving lipid metabolism, blocking inflammation and fibrosis, and restoring intestinal homeostasis.

Published in:Drug Design, Development and Therapy,
Study Type:Systematic Review,
Source: PMID: 40231197, DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S514498