Selected hepatoprotective herbal medicines: Evidence from ethnomedicinal applications, animal models, and possible mechanism of actions

• Published in: Phytotherapy research 2018-02, Vol.32 (2), p.199-215
• Main Authors: Ali, Muhammad, Khan, Tariq, Fatima, Kaneez, Ali, Qurat ul Ain, Ovais, Muhammad, Khalil, Ali Talha, Ullah, Ikram, Raza, Abida, Shinwari, Zabta Khan, Idrees, Muhammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Angelica sinensis; Animal models; Animals; Antioxidants; Astragalus membranaceus; Capparis spinosa; Cichorium intybus; Collagen; Computer simulation; Cuscuta chinensis; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA biosynthesis; Drugs; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Ethanol; Fibrosis; Ginkgo biloba; Glutathione; Glutathione reductase; Glycyrrhiza glabra; Hepatitis C; Hepatocytes; hepatoprotective activity; herbal; Herbal medicine; Herbal Medicine - methods; Immunomodulation; Litsea coreana; Liver; Liver diseases; Liver Diseases - drug therapy; Lycium barbarum; Medical personnel; Medical treatment; Medicinal plants; Medicine, Traditional - methods; Models, Animal; Nucleic acids; Oxidation; Pharmacology; Phyllanthus amarus; Physicians; Phytotherapy - methods; Reactive oxygen species; Review; Reviews; Salvia miltiorrhiza; Sapindus mukorossi; Schisandra chinensis; Side effects; Silybum marianum; Solanum nigrum; Superoxide dismutase; Synthesis; Transcription; treatment; Vitex trifolia; Woodfordia fruticosa
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5957

Insight into the hepatoprotective effects of medicinally important plants is important, both for physicians and researchers. Main reasons for the use of herbal medicine include their lesser cost compared with conventional drugs, lesser undesirable drug reactions and thus high safety, and reduced side effects. The present review focuses on the composition, pharmacology, and results of experimental trials of selected medicinal plants: Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn., Glycyrrhiza glabra, Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn., Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge., Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge, Capparis spinosa (L.), Cichorium intybus (L.), Solanum nigrum (L.), Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn., Ginkgo biloba (L.), Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz, Vitex trifolia (L.), Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., Cuscuta chinensis (Lam.), Lycium barbarum, Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, and Litsea coreana (H. Lev.). The probable modes of action of these plants include immunomodulation, stimulation of hepatic DNA synthesis, simulation of superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase to inhibit oxidation in hepatocytes, reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species by enhancing levels of antioxidants, suppression of ethanol‐induced lipid accumulation, inhibition of nucleic acid polymerases to downregulate viral mRNA transcription and translation, free radical scavenging and reduction of hepatic fibrosis by decreasing the levels of transforming growth factor beta‐1, and collagen synthesis in hepatic cells. However, further research is needed to identify, characterize, and standardize the active ingredients, useful compounds, and their preparations for the treatment of liver diseases.