Tao Zeng

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.

Global manufacturing and utilization of medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) continue to rise due to the increasing regulation on short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs). Accumulating evidence reveals that MCCP levels in various environmental matrices and foodstuffs have surpassed SCCP levels. Importantly, MCCPs have been detected in multiple human biospecimens, including maternal and cord blood, breast milk, hair, and nails, suggesting unavoidable human exposure risks. However, existing studies investigating the toxicity of CPs have predominantly focused on SCCPs rather than MCCPs. The potential toxicological profiles of MCCPs including hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and thyroid dysfunction, which were revealed in several early high-dose experimental studies, should be reassessed at environmentally relevant doses. Furthermore, potential sensitive toxicological endpoints such as lipid and glucose metabolism dysregulation should be investigated. Comprehensive toxicological studies of MCCPs at environmentally relevant doses are critically required to evaluate whether MCCPs represent safe alternatives to SCCPs and to provide novel toxicological parameters for recalibrating reference doses in human risk assessments.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an autoimmune disease mediated by abnormal autoimmune. The pathogenesis and pathological manifestation of immune-mediated liver injury, induced by concanavalin A (ConA) in mice, closely parallel those observed in human AIH. However, the sensitivity and stability of mice to ConA vary depending on the strain and sex of the mice. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the sensitivity and stability of Balb/c, C57BL/6J, and ICR mice to ConA-induced acute liver injury. In this study, the mice in ConA group were injected with ConA (15 mg/kg·bw) via tail vein. After 8 h, the blood, liver, and spleen were collected for subsequent analysis. The liver index of Balb/c mice was increased (P < 0.05). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels of male C57BL/6J mice in ConA-treated group were the highest among the three strains of mice, followed by female Balb/c mice (P < 0.05). After ConA challenge, ICR, Balb/c, and C57BL/6J mice (both male and female) appeared markedly inflammatory cell infiltration and hepatocyte necrosis. Furthermore, hemorrhagic necrosis is more severe in females than in males. Lastly, male C57BL/6J and female Balb/c mice had the lowest coefficient of variation in serum ALT, AST, and LDH activities, while female Balb/c mice had the minimum coefficient of variation of the liver index, suggesting that they have good stability to ConA. Altogether, our study found that Balb/c female and C57BL/6J male mice have high sensitivity and good stability to ConA challenge, which were suitable for mimicking the pathology of AIH in humans.