Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a fatal infectious disease, is a grave issue from a global perspective. The current treatments with ribavirin, pegylated interferon, and direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have been efficacious for years. However, toxicities, adverse drug reactions, and the development of resistance have created a need for discovering new molecules to treat HCV infection. Medicinal plants contain many constituents that provide potent activity against HCV. Natural remedies have given encouraging outcomes in terms of being reliable anti-HCV agents. Recently, in-vitro and in-vivo experiments have confirmed the anti-HCV potential of many phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, glycosides, and many other secondary metabolites. Many of these compounds prevent the entry of HCV into the liver cells, while some of them inhibit the viral replication process within the host cells. Silymarin is a significant discovery for HCV treatment from Silybum marianum. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate extracted from Camellia sinensis, Rutin obtained from Prunus domestica, and some other constituents have also provided propitious results with respect to their anti-HCV activity. Similarly, research is underway to discover more such natural products with potential activity against HCV without notable toxicity. The pharmacokinetics of these phytochemicals may be refined by applying nanomedicine to overcome the limitations of phytochemical therapy.