Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is paralleling the insulin resistance and obesity epidemic and is regarded as liver metabolic syndrome, and its prevalence rate is increasing rapidly. The best explanation for the occurrence and development of NAFLD is the “multiple hit” hypothesis instead of the “two-hit” hypothesis. At present, NAFLD therapies are limited. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway is a key pathway in oxidative stress. Its downstream proteins/enzymes are regulated. Metabolic enzymes and antioxidant proteins/enzymes play a vital role in cell defense protection and have attracted attention in the field of antioxidant research in recent years. This paper summarizes the regulatory mechanism of the Nrf2 signaling pathway and the research progress of Nrf2 activators in NAFLD to provide guidance for NAFLD therapy in the future.

非酒精性脂肪肝疾病（NAFLD）与胰岛素抵抗和肥胖症流行并存，被认为是肝脏代谢综合征，其患病率正在迅速增加。关于NAFLD发生和发展的最好解释是“多次打击”假设，而不是“两次打击”假设。目前，NAFLD疗法是有限的。核因子红系2相关因子2（Nrf2）信号传导途径是氧化应激中的关键途径。其下游蛋白质/酶被调节。代谢酶和抗氧化剂蛋白/酶在细胞防御保护中起着至关重要的作用，近年来在抗氧化剂研究领域引起了关注。