Abstract

MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR TREATMENT OF LIVER DISORDERS

Pallavi Ghiliyal* and Alok Bhatt

ABSTRACT

Liver is the largest organ of the body comprising 2-3% of the total adult body weight. It is also the central site for the biotransformation of xenobiotics. In the process of metabolic detoxification, liver is exposed to high concentrations of toxicants and toxic metabolites making it susceptible to injury. Liver damage is associated with cellular necrosis, increase in tissue lipid peroxidation, and depletion in tissue GSH level, etc. Herbs play a major role in the management of various liver disorders. Herbal medicines are in great demand in the developed as well as developing countries for primary health care because of their wide biological and medicinal properties, higher safety margins, and lesser costs. Andrographis paniculata, Silybum marianum, Coccinia grandis, Flacourtia indica, Wedelia calendulacea, Prostechea michuacana, Ficus carica, Lepidium sativum, Solanum nigrum, Swertia chirata, Phyllanthus emblica, Curcuma longa, Picrorhiza kurroa, Azadirachta indica, Aegle marmelos etc have been used in poly-herbal formulations meant for treatment of liver diseases. These hepatoprotective drugs contain variety of phyto-constituents like phenols, coumarins, lignans, essential oil, monoterpenes, carotenoids, glycosides, flavonoids, organic acids, lipids, alkaloids and xanthenes etc.

Keywords: Hepatoprotective, liver, herbal drugs.