Daphnetin-mediated mitophagy alleviates intervertebral disc degeneration via the Nrf2/PINK1 pathway

• Daphnetin attenuates TBHP-induced ECM degradation, oxidative stress, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in nucleus pulposus cells. • Daphnetin facilitates mitophagy to remove damaged mitochondria, reducing mitochondrial ROS and alleviating NLRP3 inflammasome activation. • The protective effect of Daphnetin is mediated via the Nrf2/PINK1 signaling pathway. • In vivo, Daphnetin prevents intervertebral disc degeneration in a rat puncture model, suggesting its therapeutic potential.