Phytochemicals in the treatment of non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized as the most common liver pathology in industrialized countries, its prevalence increases as diabetes and obesity increase, becoming a public health problem. Therefore, the objective of this work is to elucidate the etiopathogenesis of NAFLD and analyze the metabolic effects of some phytochemicals present in foods, which may help in the treatment of the pathology. For this purpose, this article is a bibliographic review researched in books and databases Pubmed, Virtual Health Library, Scielo and articles published in Health Journals. Of the 105 scientific articles surveyed, being from English and Portuguese, 37 were selected for the review, dated in a period between 2008 and 2018 and, to analyze the action of phytochemicals, clinical trials, randomized and case-control were prioritized. The theory behind the pathophysiology of NAFLD involves disorders in lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammatory process. Thus, phytochemicals with their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hepatoprotective actions demonstrate a positive impact on the treatment of the disease.