Quercetin and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A review based on experimental data and bioinformatic analysis

Food Chem Toxicol. 2021 Aug:154:112314. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2021.112314. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Abstract

Quercetin, a polyphenol widely present in the plant kingdom, has received great interest due to pleiotropic effects. As evidenced by animal and cellular studies, quercetin exerts hepatoprotection against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), particularly in hepatic steatosis and hepatitis. Mechanically, various hypotheses of such protective effects have been actively proposed, including improving fatty acid metabolism, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidant, modulating gut microbiota and bile acid, etc. Here, the role of quercetin in NAFLD was summarized. With a particular focus on molecular mechanism, we comprehensively discussed the pathways of quercetin on NAFLD based on the analysis from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and experimental evidence.

Keywords: GEO database; Hepatoprotection; NAFLD; Quercetin.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bile Acids and Salts / metabolism
  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Lipid Metabolism / drug effects
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / prevention & control*
  • Quercetin / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Bile Acids and Salts
  • Quercetin