{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T16:41:30Z","timestamp":1791477690279,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,16]],"date-time":"2025-11-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763251200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"statutory funding for young researchers\u2013doctoral students","award":["502-14-21191730-45058"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["502-14-21191730-45058"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Metabolically Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) is a prevalent liver disorder closely tied to metabolic dysfunction, insulin resistance, and chronic low-grade inflammation. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) may have a dual interesting role in MAFLD pathophysiology\u2014supporting vascular repair in early stages, but potentially contributing to fibrosis in later stages. In this study, berberine (BBR), a plant-derived isoquinoline alkaloid, exhibits multiple beneficial properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and endothelial-protective effects, on the study group, perhaps by influencing VEGF concentration. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of BBR in addressing vascular function parameters linked to MAFLD, particularly its impact on serum VEGF levels and arterial stiffness. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled seventy individuals with MAFLD who were overweight or obese. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either BBR (1500 mg\/day) or a placebo orally for 12 weeks. The following parameters were assessed pre- and post-intervention: VEGF, brachial SBP (Systolic Blood Pressure)\/DBP (Diastolic Blood Pressure), MAP (Mean Arterial Pressure), AIx (Augmentation Index), AP (Aortic Pressure), number of waveforms, Pulse Pressure (PP), PWV (Pulse Wave Velocity), and PWA-SP\/PWA-DP (Pulse Wave Analysis Systolic\/Diastolic Pressure). The results for the metabolic parameters\u2014FLI (Fatty Liver Index)\u2014and anthropometric parameters\u2014BMI (Body Mass Index), fat mass corp\u2014and laboratory parameters, among them, hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), were published by us earlier. Results: In the BBR-treated cohort, VEGF concentrations demonstrated a statistically significant increase following the intervention, rising from a baseline mean of 456.23 \u00b1 307.61 pg\/mL to 561.22 \u00b1 389.77 pg\/mL (p &lt; 0.0001). In the BBR group, a significant reduction in PWA-SP was observed after 12 weeks of supplementation (134.85 \u00b1 16.26 vs. 124.46 \u00b1 13.47 mmHg, p &lt; 0.0001). No statistically significant differences were observed in the parameters determining arterial stiffness in the BBR and placebo groups. In the BBR group, delta VEGF correlated negatively with delta FLI; no such associations were observed in the placebo group. Changes in PWV were consistent and significantly correlated with changes in brachial SBP\/DBP, PWA-SP, PWA-DP, and MAP. No serious adverse events were reported, and BBR was well tolerated. Conclusions: BBR appears to be a safe and promising adjunct in MAFLD therapy, potentially exerting reparative effects through VEGF modulation and vascular support. Further research is warranted to confirm its long-term impact and elucidate underlying protective mechanisms.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu17223585","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,18]],"date-time":"2025-11-18T11:05:31Z","timestamp":1763463931000},"page":"3585","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["The Influence of Berberine on Vascular Function Parameters, Among Them VEGF, in Individuals with MAFLD: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1646-3689","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Koperska","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-355 Poznan, Poland"},{"name":"Doctoral School, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-812 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7381-8135","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ewa","family":"Miller-Kasprzak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-355 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4787-1033","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Agnieszka","family":"Seraszek-Jaros","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-529 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katarzyna","family":"Musialik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-355 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0563-1624","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pawe\u0142","family":"Bogda\u0144ski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-355 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1163-0919","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Monika","family":"Szuli\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-355 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"291","article-title":"Does berberine impact anthropometric, hepatic, and metabolic parameters in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease? 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