A review of the therapeutic effects of polyphenols on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Focus on oxidative stress

Ali Akbar Soleimani; Behnam Omidi Sarajar; Masoume Aliabadi; Marzyeh Azmon; Reza Meshkani

doi:10.18502/abi.v2i1.16242

Ali Akbar Soleimani Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Behnam Omidi Sarajar Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Masoume Aliabadi Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Marzyeh Azmon Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Reza Meshkani Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/abi.v2i1.16242

Keywords: Polyphenol, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, oxidative stress, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor

Abstract

A substantial body of research suggests that polyphenols may have health benefits, particularly in metabolic disorders associated with obesity, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD), type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Given the importance of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders, significant emphasis has recently been placed on the characteristics of polyphenols in obesity-related problems. This narrative review summarizes the current knowledge on the inhibitory effects of polyphenols, including curcumin, resveratrol, baicalin, nobiletin, and quercetin, on oxidative stress, with a focus on the role of the Nrf2 pathway. This review compiles the data from articles showing that the aforementioned polyphenols improve health in metabolic diseases by regulating Nrf2 and its target proteins involved in reducing oxidative stress. However, due to the limitations of in vitro and in vivo investigations, as well as the lack of long-term human clinical trial studies, further high-quality research is required to definitively demonstrate the clinical usefulness of polyphenols for the prevention and management of NAFLD.