Mechanistically, safranal activated Sirt1 signalling to interfere with NF-κB signalling in the kidney tissues of MGN rats.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Safranal ameliorates renal damage, inflammation, and podocyte injury in MGN by upregulating SIRT1 and inhibiting NF-κB signalling. Here, NFKB1 is linked to idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis.