Effect of natural polysaccharides on alcoholic liver disease: A review

In this study, we systematically collected relevant literature in the past five years on the intervention of natural polysaccharides in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and reviewed the pharmacological activities and potential mechanisms of action. Natural polysaccharides are effective in preventing liver tissue degeneration, inhibiting the alcohol-induced expression of inflammatory factors, inactivation of antioxidant enzymes, and abnormal hepatic lipid deposition. Natural polysaccharides regulate the expression of proteins, such as tight junction proteins, production of small molecule metabolites, and balance of intestinal flora in the intestinal tract to alleviate ALD. Natural polysaccharides also exert therapeutic effects by modulating inflammatory, oxidative, lipid metabolism, and other pathways in the liver. Natural polysaccharides also inhibit alcohol-induced intestinal abnormalities by regulating intestinal flora and feeding back into the liver via the gut-liver axis. However, existing research on natural polysaccharides has many shortcomings: for example, most of the natural polysaccharides for testing are total polysaccharides or crude polysaccharides, progress in research on in vivo metabolic processes and mechanisms is slow, and the degree of industrialisation is insufficient. Finally, we discuss the difficulties in studying natural polysaccharides and future directions to provide a theoretical basis for their development and application.