Natural Products in Regulating Mitophagy for the Intervention of Atherosclerosis and Its Risk Factors: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic systemic disease that poses a significant and escalating global challenge. The pathological process of AS involves multiple aspects. In addition to lipid-lowering therapy, therapeutic strategies such as anti-inflammatory and immunotherapy have been proposed, and attention has been paid to the intervention of its risk factors. However, the available drugs are still limited. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover new pharmacological targets and drugs. Mitophagy is closely associated with AS and its risk factors, and it represents an important breakthrough in the intervention of AS and its risk factors. Natural products (NPs), with multiple pharmacological activities and lower toxicity, have caught attention as the new force in the treatment of AS and its risk factors. This review discusses the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of NPs in regulating mitophagy to alleviate AS and intervene in its risk factors. It also introduces the application prospects of the NPs, with the expectation of contributing to the treatment of AS and the development of innovative drugs.