Hepatotoxicity: Treatment, causes and applications of medicinal plants as therapeutic agents

Abstract

Hepatotoxicity, or liver damage, is caused by hepatotoxins, which may source from chemicals, dietary supplements, pharmaceutical drugs, and medicinal plants. Notably, numerous medicinal plants are used to alleviate illness, particularly in traditional systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. These systems of medicine have been implemented for centuries for treating various ailments. Some medicinal plants serve as hepatoprotectors against liver damage, while others induce hepatotoxicity. Recent advances in instrumentation and knowledge of active components have allowed research scientists to study the drug metabolic pathways of these phytopharmaceuticals to establish a causal relationship between medicinal plants and their pharmacological effects on the human liver, as a hepatoprotector or a causative agent for hepatotoxicity. The human liver metabolizes substances via oxidation, reduction, hydration, hydrolysis, condensation, conjugation, or isomerization. Interruption of these processes can lead to hepatotoxicity, causing liver cancer, cirrhosis and Hepatitis C, respectively. Such diseases are responsible for higher mortality rates worldwide. The present review focuses on highlighting various plants that are hepatoprotective, hepatotoxic and the challenges faced by phytopharmaceuticals. The article also emphasizes on various agents (bioactives from medicinal plants, industrial toxins and pharmaceutical compounds) that have been reported to cause hepatotoxicity. The article proposes views and beneficial medicinal plants that can help in identification of natural hepatoprotective agents for future natural product based drug discovery.

An in vivo and in silico evaluation of the magical hepatoprotective potentialities of Gynura procumbens: a promising agent for combating hepatotoxicity

“…Carbon Tetrachloride mediated hike in LDL successfully. Lowering of LDL level were also observed in case of Nigella sativa, Aegle marmelos, and Phytolacca dodecandra [1], [21], [22]. Triglyceride level was induced almost double due to the application of carbon tetrachloride.…”

“…Some studies have come to agreement with result for following plant extracts. Pisonia aculeate, Solanum xanthocarpum, Beta vulgaris, Clerodendrum inerme, Rhododendron arboretum, Clutia abyssinica, Macrocybe gigantean, Argyreia speciose, Terminalia arjuna , and Phytolacca dodecandra [1–5], [12–16].…”

“…Phytolacca dodecandra [1]. SGOT level of positive control and disease control group showed two opposite scenarios [Figure 3].…”

“…[2], [3], [6], [7], [12], [15][16][17], [25]. dodecandra have showed same type of effects [1], [3], [6], [7], [15], [16], [20], [25], [26].…”

“…Liver is a very important and resilient organ in an animal body, major function of which is to give support in metabolism, digestion, detoxification, storing vitamins, and immunity. However, this organ can be affected by different toxins, which originates commonly from food supplements, drugs, chemicals, and medicinal plants [1][2][3]. Carbon tetra chloride (CCl 4 ) is considered as quite toxic and as well as xenobiotic to animal body that causes the cell injury by activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).…”