Title:Naringenin and its Nano-formulations for Fatty Liver: Cellular Modes of Action and Clinical Perspective
Volume: 19
Issue: 3
Author(s): Mehdi Zobeiri, Tarun Belwal, Fatemeh Parvizi, Rozita Naseri, Mohammad H. Farzaei*, Seyed F. Nabavi, Antoni Sureda and Seyed M. Nabavi
Affiliation:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah,Iran
Keywords:
Naringenin, fatty liver, flavonoids, natural product, steatosis, pharmacological mechanisms.
Abstract: Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver
disease mainly caused by high-fat diets and sudden feed changes, vitamin and energy deficiency, and
inflammatory processes. Fatty liver leads to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma as well as liver failure.
Lifestyle-modifying such as weight loss and a healthy diet have an inverse correlation with the risk of
fatty liver. The promising effect of a diet rich in vegetables and fruits against fatty liver has been evidenced
by several empirical studies focused on flavonoids. Among naturally occurring flavonoids, naringenin
is one of the most important flavonoids which can be isolated from some edible fruits, especially
citrus species.
Methods: In the present review, we discuss the effects of naringenin and its nano-formulations against
fatty liver disease and the proposed molecular mechanism of action. A large number of studies attributed
to naringenin anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and insulin-like actions, as well as different types of
effects on sex hormone metabolism and lipid metabolism. Naringenin-loaded nanoparticles have been
used to solve the limited stability, solubility, bioavailability and pharmacological activity of naringenin
and, consequently, to improve its therapeutic effects.
Results and Discussion: Naringenin exerts diverse biological actions including the decrease of biomarkers
of lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation, increase of antioxidant defenses, scavenging
of reactive oxygen species and modulation of signaling pathways related to fatty acid metabolism
which can favor the oxidation of fatty acid, lower lipid accumulation in the liver and thereby prevent
fatty liver.