## 1 Introduction
A disrupted intestinal barrier in leaky gut does not sufficiently protect against bacterial endotoxins (including lipopolysaccharide, LPS) entering circulation and further reaching liver. The innate immune response of Kupffer cells to LPS, which manifests due to nitric oxide (NO) secretion, oxidative burst (i.e., rapid and intensive reactive oxygen species, ROS release) and pro-inflammatory cytokine release are considered \"the second hit\" that drives NAFLD progression to NASH [18]. Mononuclear phagocytes, including Kupffer cells, show remarkable plasticity and can acquire a spectrum of phenotypes according to current exposure to regulatory signals from the cellular environment. Lipid uptake and metabolism are intrinsically bound to the monocyte and macrophage polarization process and to the formation of either proinflammatory M1 or anti-inflammatory, pro-regenerative M2 phenotype. M1 macrophages, which predominate during acute infection, are also engaged in the pathogenesis of NASH and usually rely on intensive glycolysis, actively synthesize fatty acids and secrete IL-1\(\beta\) and NO, a product of inducible NO synthase (iNOS). Inflammation-resolving M2 cells carry out oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid \(\beta\)-oxidation and release IL-10 [19]. Lipid uptake and metabolism in monocytes and macrophages is an important factor that determines progression of cardiovascular diseases. Oxidized LDL particles (oxLDL) are recognized and avidly engulfed by monocytes via scavenger receptors, and the event of oxLDL phagocytosis leads to activation of the inflammatory response via NF-\(\kappa\)B and MyD88 signalling pathways and subsequent production of IL-1 \(\beta\)[20]. Phenolic compounds representing several classes (flavonols, flavanols, anthocyanins, stillbenoids, etc.) derived from various plant species have been tested as protecting agents in NAFLD models [10; 21; 22] due to their promising bioactivities in liver cells. Sea buckthorn and Cornelian cherry are traditional utilitarian plants in Europe and Asia, used in the ethnic medicine and cuisine of many countries. Most commonly, the berries are consumed in processed form as fruit jams, jellies, liquors and syrup preserves. Sea buckthorn (_Hippocampae rhamnics_ L., _Elaengnaceae_ family) is a rich source of folate, tocopherols, carotenoids and pantothelic acid, with a very high content of ascorbic acid (over 400 mg/100 g of fresh fruits) [23; 24]. Cornelian cherry (_Cornus mas_ L., _Cornaceae_ family) has gained considerable interest due to its high content of anthocyanins (flavonoids) and iridoids (monoterpenoids) [25], but it is also a great a great provider of ascorbic acid (41-101 mg/100 g fresh fruits) [26; 27]. However, the natural health-promoting potential of sea buckthorn and Cornelian cherry is not their sole advantage. Both these plants have very modest soil requirements, tolerate drought and frost, are resistant to pests and diseases, do not require chemical fertilizer support and are very well suited to ecological recultivation of areas endangered due to erosion [26; 28; 29]. Sea buckthorn grows well on poor sand and clay soils, easily adapts to salinity and can serve as a pioneer plant in land reclaimed territories, due to its symbiosis with nitrogen-fixating actinobacteria from _Frankia_ species, which reside in the root nodules [28; 30]. Cornelian cherry is a slow-growing, long-lived shrub or small tree that adapts very well on rocky slopes and is recommended as a streambank protective plant in landscape bioengineering [26; 29]. Therefore, both plants are well-suited for wasteland management and offer a valuable option for land reclamation and recultivation of arid areas, in addition to producing crops rich in bioactive compounds. These two advantages make these species ideal for sustainable and profitable non-timber plant production, with beneficial effects on the environment.