Hawthorn fruit extracts alleviate high-fat diet-induced NAFLD by inhibiting ERK and regulating hepatic purine metabolism

, and mitigated liver damage. Hepatic metabolomics indicated that HFE notably improved metabolic disorders in NAFLD mice, particularly in the purine metabolism pathway. Integrative analysis combining network pharmacology, molecular docking, and western blotting demonstrated that HFE primarily targets ERK and effectively suppresses its hyperactivation. Quercetin and rutin, present in HFE, emerged as potential key components, exerting effects through direct binding with ERK1/2. In conclusion, this study found that HFE alleviated NAFLD by inhibiting ERK and regulating hepatic purine metabolism.