Additionally, the polysaccharides isolated from S. chinensis stem also exerted hepatoprotective effects by increasing the expression of UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase, while decreasing the expression of acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase and fatty acid synthase in the liver of rats with NAFLD, thereby alleviating the development of NAFLD (109). Here, UGP2 is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.