The advances of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of liver diseases in 2019

Background: Currently, the treatment of liver diseases remains an unsolved problem due to its complicated etiology and pathogenesis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for liver disease treatment for thousands of years. Disease treatment using TCM compounds conforms to the concept of holism , which coincides with the complicated pathogenic mechanisms of liver diseases. However, the mechanisms have not been clearly explained due to the complex components and multitargets, which is a big obstacle TCM s popularity and application. In recent years, studying the mechanisms and identifying the novel ingredients in herbal medicines are becoming a hot spot for many researchers. Therefore, we obtained literature in PubMed and summarized the progress of TCM s active ingredients and formulas in treating various liver diseases in 2019. Based on the literature, flavonoids, polysaccharides, saponins, and alkaloids, as well as Chinese medicine formulas, such as BaBao pill and Yin-Chen-Hao decoction, have attracted much attention. In addition, we also focused on the application of new omics analysis techniques, such as metabolomics, network pharmacology, and other omics analyses in the study of TCM formulas.