# Food plants as adjuvant medicines: a review of protective effects and clinical potential in alcoholic liver disease

## TL;DR

This review explores how certain food plants used as medicines may help prevent and treat alcoholic liver disease by reducing oxidative stress and improving gut health.

## Contribution

The paper provides a novel analysis of food plants' mechanisms in combating alcoholic liver disease and highlights future research directions for herbal medicine development.

## Key findings

- Food plants can reduce oxidative stress and support liver health through various mechanisms.
- Regulation of gut microbiota and cytokine levels by food plants may help treat ALD.
- Future research should explore multi-herb combinations and formulations to enhance therapeutic effects.

## Abstract

Globally, alcohol usage is the third-leading risk factor for diseases, and alcohol-induced alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has become a global public health problem. ALD is characterized by oxidative stress and immune damage in the liver caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Furthermore, alcohol and its metabolites disrupt the health of the intestinal tract and cause secondary liver damage through the gut-liver axis.

The underlying mechanisms of ALD are complex. Currently, there are no safe and effective drugs for the prevention and treatment of ALD; some food plants used as medicines (FPUM) have demonstrated promising effects in combating this condition.

In this review, we analyze the pathogenesis of ALD and explore the mechanisms of action of certain FPUM in preventing and treating ALD. Different mechanisms include activation of alcohol metabolism-related enzymes, maintenance of mitochondrial stability, reduction of oxidative stress damage caused by alcohol intake, regulation of cytokine levels, and modulation of the gut microbiota. The review also explores potential future research directions and summarizes insights for developing novel therapeutic agents and components.

Future research on FPUM for the treatment of ALD could explore promising avenues such as multi-herb combinations, multi-component formulations, and side effect reduction strategies, demonstrating that the development of herbal medicine still holds boundless potential.