Functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of paeonol in the treatment of liver disease

doi:10.1007/s13659-025-00554-3

Natural Products and Bioprospecting ›› 2026, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (1): 2-2.DOI: 10.1007/s13659-025-00554-3

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Functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of paeonol in the treatment of liver disease

Min Shu^1,2, Mengzhou Fang³, Tao Xu^1,2, Qi Yan⁴

1. Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China;
2. Anhui Key Lab of Bioactivity of Natural Products, Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China;
3. School of Medical Imaging, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu 233030, China;
4. Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China

Received:2025-08-01 Online:2026-03-25 Published:2026-02-14
Contact: Tao Xu,E-mail:xutao@ahmu.edu.cn;Qi Yan,E-mail:yanqi@ahmu.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82373932); Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (2208085MH203, 2408085QH242, 2508085J050); Anhui Outstanding Young Teachers Cultivation Program (YQZD2023023); Anhui Province University Outstanding Youth Research Project (2024AH020006); Anhui Medical University Youth Shuangpei Program (2024); Anhui Provincial Health Commission Scientific Research Project (AHWJ2024Aa30231).

Functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of paeonol in the treatment of liver disease

Min Shu^1,2, Mengzhou Fang³, Tao Xu^1,2, Qi Yan⁴

1. Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China;
2. Anhui Key Lab of Bioactivity of Natural Products, Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China;
3. School of Medical Imaging, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu 233030, China;
4. Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China

通讯作者: Tao Xu,E-mail:xutao@ahmu.edu.cn;Qi Yan,E-mail:yanqi@ahmu.edu.cn
基金资助:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82373932); Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (2208085MH203, 2408085QH242, 2508085J050); Anhui Outstanding Young Teachers Cultivation Program (YQZD2023023); Anhui Province University Outstanding Youth Research Project (2024AH020006); Anhui Medical University Youth Shuangpei Program (2024); Anhui Provincial Health Commission Scientific Research Project (AHWJ2024Aa30231).

Abstract

Abstract: Liver disease is a serious threat to human health, so its prevention and treatment have been the focus of medical research. In the past few years, natural products have proved to be promising and valuable in the treatment of liver diseases. The bioactive substance paeonol, extracted from the root bark of peony (Paeonia lactiflora) of the buttercup family, is a promising drug candidate because of its low toxicity and multifaceted pharmacological properties. This review comprehensively explored the therapeutic potential of paeonol in different liver pathologies as well as the regulatory mechanisms. Despite its promising potential, the poor solubility and rapid metabolism of paeonol hindered its clinical translation. To improve bioavailability and liver targeting, we highlighted the potential of paeonol as a next-generation therapy for liver diseases by integrating preclinical evidence and technological advances, while exploring key avenues for future research, such as metabolic regulation and smart nanocarrier design.

Key words: Paeonol, Liver diseases, Anti-inflammatory, Signaling pathways, Drug delivery systems

摘要： Liver disease is a serious threat to human health, so its prevention and treatment have been the focus of medical research. In the past few years, natural products have proved to be promising and valuable in the treatment of liver diseases. The bioactive substance paeonol, extracted from the root bark of peony (Paeonia lactiflora) of the buttercup family, is a promising drug candidate because of its low toxicity and multifaceted pharmacological properties. This review comprehensively explored the therapeutic potential of paeonol in different liver pathologies as well as the regulatory mechanisms. Despite its promising potential, the poor solubility and rapid metabolism of paeonol hindered its clinical translation. To improve bioavailability and liver targeting, we highlighted the potential of paeonol as a next-generation therapy for liver diseases by integrating preclinical evidence and technological advances, while exploring key avenues for future research, such as metabolic regulation and smart nanocarrier design.

关键词: Paeonol, Liver diseases, Anti-inflammatory, Signaling pathways, Drug delivery systems

Min Shu, Mengzhou Fang, Tao Xu, Qi Yan. Functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of paeonol in the treatment of liver disease[J]. Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 2026, 16(1): 2-2.

Min Shu, Mengzhou Fang, Tao Xu, Qi Yan. Functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of paeonol in the treatment of liver disease[J]. 应用天然产物, 2026, 16(1): 2-2.

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Functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of paeonol in the treatment of liver disease

Functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of paeonol in the treatment of liver disease

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