Astragaloside IV as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases: current landscape and future perspectives

Astragaloside IV (C41H68O14, AS-IV) is a naturally occurring saponin isolated from the root of Astragalus membranaceus, a widely used traditional Chinese botanical drug in medicine. In recent years, AS-IV has attracted considerable attention for its hepatoprotective properties, which are attributed...

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Main Authors: Chunyan Chen, Xiaolan Bu, Liping Deng, Jiayan Xia, Xinming Wang, Li Chen, Wen Li, Jie Huang, Qixiang Chen, Cheng Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Pharmacology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1574154/full
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author Chunyan Chen
Chunyan Chen
Xiaolan Bu
Xiaolan Bu
Liping Deng
Liping Deng
Jiayan Xia
Jiayan Xia
Xinming Wang
Xinming Wang
Li Chen
Li Chen
Wen Li
Wen Li
Jie Huang
Jie Huang
Qixiang Chen
Qixiang Chen
Cheng Wang
Cheng Wang
author_facet Chunyan Chen
Chunyan Chen
Xiaolan Bu
Xiaolan Bu
Liping Deng
Liping Deng
Jiayan Xia
Jiayan Xia
Xinming Wang
Xinming Wang
Li Chen
Li Chen
Wen Li
Wen Li
Jie Huang
Jie Huang
Qixiang Chen
Qixiang Chen
Cheng Wang
Cheng Wang
author_sort Chunyan Chen
collection DOAJ
description Astragaloside IV (C41H68O14, AS-IV) is a naturally occurring saponin isolated from the root of Astragalus membranaceus, a widely used traditional Chinese botanical drug in medicine. In recent years, AS-IV has attracted considerable attention for its hepatoprotective properties, which are attributed to its low toxicity as well as its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumour effects. Numerous preclinical studies have demonstrated its potential in the prevention and treatment of various liver diseases, including multifactorial liver injury, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, liver fibrosis and liver cancer. Given the promising hepatoprotective potential of AS-IV and the growing interest in its research, this review provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of research on the hepatoprotective effects of AS-IV, based on literature available in databases such as CNKI, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Web of Science. The hepatoprotective mechanisms of AS-IV are multifaceted, encompassing the inhibition of inflammatory responses, reduction of oxidative stress, improvement of insulin and leptin resistance, modulation of the gut microbiota, suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and induction of tumour cell apoptosis. Notably, key molecular pathways involved in these effects include Nrf2/HO-1, NF-κB, NLRP3/Caspase-1, JNK/c-Jun/AP-1, PPARα/FSP1 and Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin. Toxicity studies indicate that AS-IV has a high level of safety. In addition, this review discusses the sources, physicochemical properties, and current challenges in the development and clinical application of AS-IV, providing valuable insights into its potential as a hepatoprotective agent in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.
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spelling doaj-art-e2bdf4e77c264059b21e3d4dbe69d3bf2025-08-20T02:25:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-04-011610.3389/fphar.2025.15741541574154Astragaloside IV as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases: current landscape and future perspectivesChunyan Chen0Chunyan Chen1Xiaolan Bu2Xiaolan Bu3Liping Deng4Liping Deng5Jiayan Xia6Jiayan Xia7Xinming Wang8Xinming Wang9Li Chen10Li Chen11Wen Li12Wen Li13Jie Huang14Jie Huang15Qixiang Chen16Qixiang Chen17Cheng Wang18Cheng Wang19School of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medical, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, ChinaAstragaloside IV (C41H68O14, AS-IV) is a naturally occurring saponin isolated from the root of Astragalus membranaceus, a widely used traditional Chinese botanical drug in medicine. In recent years, AS-IV has attracted considerable attention for its hepatoprotective properties, which are attributed to its low toxicity as well as its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumour effects. Numerous preclinical studies have demonstrated its potential in the prevention and treatment of various liver diseases, including multifactorial liver injury, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, liver fibrosis and liver cancer. Given the promising hepatoprotective potential of AS-IV and the growing interest in its research, this review provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of research on the hepatoprotective effects of AS-IV, based on literature available in databases such as CNKI, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Web of Science. The hepatoprotective mechanisms of AS-IV are multifaceted, encompassing the inhibition of inflammatory responses, reduction of oxidative stress, improvement of insulin and leptin resistance, modulation of the gut microbiota, suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and induction of tumour cell apoptosis. Notably, key molecular pathways involved in these effects include Nrf2/HO-1, NF-κB, NLRP3/Caspase-1, JNK/c-Jun/AP-1, PPARα/FSP1 and Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin. Toxicity studies indicate that AS-IV has a high level of safety. In addition, this review discusses the sources, physicochemical properties, and current challenges in the development and clinical application of AS-IV, providing valuable insights into its potential as a hepatoprotective agent in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1574154/fullAstragaloside IVhepatoprotectionliver injurymetabolic-associated fatty liver diseaseliver fibrosisliver cancer
spellingShingle Chunyan Chen
Chunyan Chen
Xiaolan Bu
Xiaolan Bu
Liping Deng
Liping Deng
Jiayan Xia
Jiayan Xia
Xinming Wang
Xinming Wang
Li Chen
Li Chen
Wen Li
Wen Li
Jie Huang
Jie Huang
Qixiang Chen
Qixiang Chen
Cheng Wang
Cheng Wang
Astragaloside IV as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases: current landscape and future perspectives
Frontiers in Pharmacology
Astragaloside IV
hepatoprotection
liver injury
metabolic-associated fatty liver disease
liver fibrosis
liver cancer
title Astragaloside IV as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases: current landscape and future perspectives
title_full Astragaloside IV as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases: current landscape and future perspectives
title_fullStr Astragaloside IV as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases: current landscape and future perspectives
title_full_unstemmed Astragaloside IV as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases: current landscape and future perspectives
title_short Astragaloside IV as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases: current landscape and future perspectives
title_sort astragaloside iv as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases current landscape and future perspectives
topic Astragaloside IV
hepatoprotection
liver injury
metabolic-associated fatty liver disease
liver fibrosis
liver cancer
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1574154/full
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