Molecular Mechanistic Pathways Targeted by Natural Products in the Prevention and Treatment of Alcoholic Liver Disease

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a condition caused by alcohol abuse. Although its incidence is rapidly increasing, effective treatments for this disease remain limited. The pathogenesis of ALD involves multiple aspects, such as direct damage from alcohol, oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid metabolism disorders, and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. Under the combined action of multiple damaging factors, liver inflammation worsens and leads to liver fibrosis. In this review, we focused on in vitro and in vivo experiments to investigate the mechanistic pathways by which natural products exert effects against the progression of ALD. The accumulated and collected data indicate that some natural products may regulate oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy, lipid metabolism, and the intestinal barrier, thereby protecting the liver. This review presents an updated overview of the potential benefits of these natural products for the prevention and treatment of ALD, identifying potential new therapeutic lead compounds and providing a reference for innovative drug development and clinical treatment for ALD.