AUTHOR=Hu Yu-long , Ma Qiaoli , Dong Xiaoqiang , Kong Yuanfang , Cai Juntao , Li Jieming , Dong Chunhong TITLE=Research progress on the therapeutic effects of polysaccharides on non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition VOLUME=10 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1107551 DOI=10.3389/fnut.2023.1107551 ISSN=2296-861X ABSTRACT=

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease and is a leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to its complex pathophysiology, there is currently no approved therapy. Polysaccharide, a kind of natural product, possesses a wide range of pharmacological activities. Numerous preclinical studies have confirmed that polysaccharides could interfere with the occurrence and development of NAFLD at multiple interrelated levels, such as improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism, antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and regulation of gut-liver axis, thus showing great potential as novel anti-NAFLD drugs. In this paper, we reviewed the polysaccharides with anti-NAFLD effect in recent years, and also systematically analyzed their possible pharmacological mechanisms.