CAS academician Lanjuan Li's team reveals how puerarin alleviates cholestatic liver fibrosis in Current Molecular Pharmacology

A study recently published in Current Molecular Pharmacology suggests that puerarin may offer a promising strategy against cholestatic liver fibrosis. Conducted by CAS Academician Lanjuan Li's team at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, the study evaluated puerarin in a bile duct ligation (BDL) rat model and in bile acid–treated HepaRG hepatocytes.

Puerarin treatment ameliorated serum biochemical abnormalities, histological injury, and bile duct proliferation in BDL rats, and reduced collagen deposition. Transcriptomic analysis showed that puerarin modulated extracellular matrix deposition and regulated the PI3K-Akt pathway. 

"Our results demonstrate that puerarin directly targets key pathological processes in cholestatic liver injury," said the first author. Metabolomic profiling revealed that puerarin altered the hepatic bile acid profile, promoting conjugation of hydrophobic bile acids. In vitro, it attenuated bile acid–induced hepatotoxicity and enhanced hepatocyte proliferation.

"The net protective effect of puerarin on bile acid homeostasis warrants further investigation, but our findings strongly support its potential as a candidate therapeutic agent for cholestatic liver fibrosis," said Academician Lanjuan Li, the corresponding author. Further studies are needed to confirm its clinical applicability.

View the full article, please visit: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmp.2026.04.003