Flavonoids in the treatment of alcohol-related liver disease: evidence, molecular mechanisms, and challenges

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a global health issue with limited therapeutic options. Flavonoids, a diverse group of plant-derived compounds, have been shown to ameliorate ethanol-induced liver injury in both in vivo and in vitro ALD models, highlighting their potential as natural therapeutic agents for ALD. However, the clinical use of flavonoids is hindered by their generally poor solubility and low oral bioavailability. To overcome these challenges, several nanotechnology-based flavonoid formulations, including nanocrystals, liposomes, nanoemulsions, polymer particles, polymer micelles, and nanogels, have been developed. The efficacy of these flavonoid nanoformulations in the context of ALD remains largely unexplored. This review summarizes current knowledge of ALD, the protective effects of various flavonoids, and recent advances in flavonoid nanoformulations. It also discusses future research directions in this field. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.