ABSTRACT
Emodin is a common Chinese medicine compound with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-oxidant and lipid-lowering effects. Modern studies have found that emodin activates adenylate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling molecules and regulates transcriptional factors and biological functions of relevant pathways. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a chronic liver disease with a high incidence in China. With the global prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome, the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely related to the expression of the metabolism-related signal molecule AMPK. AMPK is a key enzyme in glycolipid metabolism that can involve different stages of NAFLD development to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by regulating energy metabolism in the body. In recent years, many studies have suggested that the activation of AMPK signaling molecules is related to the function realization of emodin, and lipid synthesis, fatty acid oxidation, insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function-related transcription factors affected by AMPK downstream signaling molecules and other biological effects can be interacted with each other. The detailed mechanism of action associated with AMPK activation provides new thought about the treatment of NAFLD by emodin. This paper mainly summarizes the research progress of emodin by participating in the various stages of NAFLD by AMPK-related signaling pathways through literature retrieval and comprehensive analysis. It lays a foundation for further research on the therapeutic effect and mechanism of emodin on NAFLD.