Background
Natural bioactive components derived from plant secondary metabolites have been pronounced as valuable alternatives for anticipating and subsiding hepatotoxic effects and its chronic complications based on experimental verification. The focus of this review is to elucidate the commonly used modern medicine for the treatment of liver disease and how major phytoconstituents have been tested for hepatoprotective activity, mechanism of action of some promising agents from natural sources, and clinical trial data for treating in patients with different liver diseases by the aid of natural phytoconstituents.
Main text
The review shows fifteen major isolated phytoconstituents, their biological sources, chemical structures, utilized plant parts, type of extracts used, hepatoprotective assay method, and their possible mechanism of action on the hepatoprotection. Nine promising hepatoprotective leads from natural sources with their chemistry and hepatoprotective mechanism are mentioned briefly. The review further includes the recent clinical trial studies of some hepatoprotective leads and their clinical outcome with different liver disease patients. Scientific studies revealed that antioxidant properties are the central mechanism for the phytoconstituents to subside different disease pathways by upsurging antioxidant defense system of cells, scavenging free radicals, down surging lipid peroxidation, improving anti-inflammatory potential, and further protecting the hepatic cell injury. In this review, we summarize recent development of natural product-based hepatoprotective leads and their curative potential for various sort of liver diseases. Furthermore, the usefulness of hit and lead molecules from natural sources for significant clinical benefit to discover new drug molecule and downsizing the problems of medication and chemical-induced hepatotoxic effects is extrapolated.
Conclusion
Further research are encouraged to elucidate the pharmacological principle of these natural-based chemical agents which will stimulate future pharmaceutical development of therapeutically beneficial hepatoprotective regimens.
Free radicals are molecules with reactive unpaired electrons which are produced during cell metabolism and create the oxidative stress inside tissue resulting in tissue damage. The aim of the present study was qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening, determination of total phenolic and total flavonoid content, and free radical scavenging activity of different parts of ethnomedicinally used Rubus ellipticus Sm. plant. Root, stem, and leaves of Rubus ellipticus Sm. were collected from Annapurna Rural Municipality, Kaski, Western Nepal. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of the plant parts were obtained by subsequent maceration process. The phytochemical screening of most of the extract showed the presence of phenols, carbohydrates, flavonoids, and glycosides. The ethanolic extract of stem showed the higher phenolic content with the value of 343.75 ± 2.21 µg GAE/mg. Ethanolic extract of stem had the highest amount of flavonoid content (1563.17 ± 10.79 µg QE/mg of extract), whereas all the ethyl acetate extracts of root, leaves and stem showed comparable flavonoid content. Ethanolic extracts of leaves showed potent DPPH free radical scavenging activity with IC50 value of 5.03µg/ml while ethyl acetate extract of stem showed the maximum free radical scavenging properties. The result depicted that the ethanolic extract of Rubus ellipticus Sm. showed the potent antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals.
Diabetes mellitus, a physiological disorder is characterized by low secretion of insulin due to the attack in insulin producing beta cell (Type I) or the body cell become insulin resistance (Type II). This study was designed to evaluate the DPPH lowering effect, in-vitro alpha amylase and glucose diffusion inhibition of the selected medicinal plants. Five different plant sample Amomum subulatum, Choerospondias axillaris, Musa sp, Myrica esculenta and Nephrolepis cordifolia were taken for the study. From the result it was revealed that the methanol extracts of Myrica esculenta stem bark and small branches showed potent DPPH free radical scavenging activity with the IC50 value of 4.23 µg/ml and 3.14 µg/ml respectively which is almost comparable to standard Ascorbic acid taken. Meanwhile, alpha-amylase inhibitory study showed that Myrica esculenta stem bark showed potent subsidiary effect on methanol extracts with IC50 value of 0.96 mg/ml which is comparable to standard volgibose taken. Lastly, membrane diffusion study with glucose and plant sample showed that Amomum subulatum seed and Choerospondias axillaris fruit have potent glucose diffusion inhibition with highest GDRI %. From the result, it could be correlated that the free radical scavenging activity and glucose lowering effect of these plant extracts is due to the presence of phytoconstituents like phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides saponins etc. as well as several other uncompetitive modes of inhibition.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.