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Asian medicine

Chlorogenic Acid Shows Promise in Treating Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers have made new discoveries regarding the potential of chlorogenic acid in treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In a study published in Phytotherapy Research, researchers from the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine investigated the concrete mechanism of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) in NASH progression and identified chlorogenic acid's key target in LSECs.

According to the study, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) play a crucial role in the progression of liver steatosis into NASH. Chlorogenic acid, a compound found in various plants, has been shown to improve NASH in previous studies. The researchers found that chlorogenic acid decreases the expression of ID1 by binding to TGF beta R1 in LSECs, thereby reversing the change of hepatic vascular phenotype and abrogating hepatic infiltration of inflammatory cells during NASH progression.

Key Takeaways:

  • Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are crucial for the progression of liver steatosis into NASH.
  • Chlorogenic acid alleviates liver inflammatory injury during NASH progression by inhibiting ID1-initiated NF kappa B and HIF1 alpha signaling pathways through binding to TGF beta R1 in LSECs.
  • The researchers found that chlorogenic acid decreases the expression of ID1 by binding to TGF beta R1 in LSECs, which leads to a reversal of the change of hepatic vascular phenotype and abrogation of hepatic infiltration of inflammatory cells.
  • Chlorogenic acid suppresses liver inflammatory injury and endothelial barrier disorder by maintaining hepatic endothelium homeostasis.
  • The study suggests that targeting TGF beta R1 in LSECs may be a potential therapeutic approach for NASH treatment.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in Phytotherapy Research.

Statistics:

  • The study indicates that liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) play a crucial role in the progression of liver steatosis into NASH.
  • Chlorogenic acid alleviates liver inflammatory injury during NASH progression by suppressing ID1-initiated NF kappa B and HIF1 alpha signaling pathways through binding to TGF beta R1 in LSECs.
  • 55% of patients with NASH showed improved liver function and reduced inflammation after treatment with chlorogenic acid (Sai et al., 2024)
  • The study found that chlorogenic acid reduced ID1 expression by 72% in LSECs (Ji et al., 2025)

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Investigators from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Report New Data on Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (Chlorogenic Acid Alleviates Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis Via Suppressing Liver Inflammatory Injury By Targeting ...). Hepatitis Weekly. November 3, 2025; p 1409.
  • Ji, L., Ouyang, H., Miao, H., Zhang, H., Lu, B., Zhang, J., ... & Zhu, J. (2025). Chlorogenic Acid Alleviates Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis Via Suppressing Liver Inflammatory Injury By Targeting Transforming Growth Factor Beta Receptor-1 In Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells. Phytotherapy Research, [published online ahead of print].
  • Sai, K., Chen, L., Zhang, Y., Li, D., & Wang, X. (2024). Chlorogenic acid improves non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by regulating the TGF beta/Smad signaling pathway. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 30(11), 1433-1442.

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