SMAD2 and Hepatic fibrosis: Echinacoside possesses an anti-hepatic fibrosis effect by inhibiting hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and the TGF-β1/smad pathway (increasing the mRNA level and protein expression of smad7, and decreasing the mRNA levels of smad2, smad3 and the protein expression of smad2, phospho-smad2, smad3, phospho-smad3) [89].