⚠ Official Notice: www.ijisrt.com is the official website of the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) Journal for research paper submission and publication. Please beware of fake or duplicate websites using the IJISRT name.



Role of Antioxidants in Hepatoprotection: Current Insights and Future Directions


Authors : Neeraj Kumar; Ayush Kumar Singh

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 3 - March


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4zkanyrb

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/yc6myk5c

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26mar1482

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : The benefits of using medicinal plants that are hepatoprotective in nature are valuable to doctors and researchers alike. The most significant reason that makes herbal products a popular option is their lower cost than pharmaceuticals, as well as their relatively fewer potential side effects and greater overall safety profile; thus, many patients prefer to use them versus pharmaceuticals. In this paper, we will focus on the phytochemical composition of the selected herbs, as well as their pharmacological activity and the outcomes of clinical studies pertinent to those herbs: 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.) and Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., Litsea coreana (H. Lev.), Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Lycium barbarum, and Cuscuta chinensis (Lam.). Several functions are carried out by the liver, one of them being: the performing, maintaining homeostasis, the providing of nutrients and energy supplys and also being used as the source of growth and metabolism regulation within the body. Approximately 10% of all deaths recorded in the United States can be contributed to drug-induced liver injury. Conclusively, if one uses the criteria above to identify drug-induced hepatotoxicity, approved medications can be identified as having contributed to over one-half (50%) of the>1,000 cases of severe hepatic impairment in the ALFSG cohort of patients admitted to 17 different sites in the U.S. In addition, the liver is capable of activating or inactivating through a chemical process, exogenous and endogenous xenobiotics (foreign chemicals added to body) due to its defence mechanisms, resulting in a state of dysfunction (chronic liver disease) at the anatomical and/or functional level and thus resulting in pathophysiological changes leading to hepatotoxicty. Liver disease is a global health issue, as the liver is the main tissue responsible for detoxifying agents and maintaining normal metabolic functions. Additionally, the liver metabolises compounds that can lead to the generation of free radicals (FR) within the liver. Antioxidants help to destroy FR and thus allow the liver to maintain its oxidative and antioxidative balance; when the balance becomes disrupted.

Keywords : Oxidative Stress; Antioxidant; Hepatoprotection, Pathophology, Liver Disease, Medicinal Plants, Phytochemicals.

References :

  1. B. Raj, S. D. J. Singh, V. J. Samual, S. John, and A. Siddiqua, “Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of Cassytha filiformis against CCl₄-induced hepatic damage in rats,” Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, vol. 7, pp. 15–19, 2013.
  2. B. R. Nallamilli, C. Kumar, S. P. Reddy, M. L. Prasanna, V. Maruthi, and P. Sucharit, “Hepatoprotective activity of Cichorium intybus (Linn.) root extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in albino Wistar rats,” Drug Invention Today, vol. 5, pp. 311–314, 2013.
  3. M. Subramanian, S. Balakrishnan, Chinnaiyan, S. K. Sekar, and V. K. Chandu, “Hepatoprotective effect of leaves of Morinda tinctoria Roxb. against paracetamol-induced liver damage in rats,” Drug Invention Today, vol. 5, pp. 223–228, 2013.
  4. P. Muriel, “Some experimental models of liver damage,” in Hepatotoxicity: From Genomics to in vitro and in vivo Models, S. C. Sahu, Ed. West Sussex, England: Wiley, 2007, pp. 119–137.
  5. P. Muriel, “Cytokines in liver diseases,” in Hepatotoxicity: From Genomics to in vitro and in vivo Models, S. C. Sahu, Ed. West Sussex, England: Wiley, 2007, pp. 371–389.
  6. P. Muriel and J. Arauz, “Coffee and liver health,” in Coffee: Emerging Health Effects and Disease Prevention, Y. Chu, Ed. West Sussex, U.K.: IFT Press/Wiley-Blackwell, 2012, pp. 123–139.
  7. K. Reyes-Gordillo et al., “Curcumin prevents and reverses cirrhosis induced by bile duct obstruction or CCl₄ in rats: Role of TGF-β modulation and oxidative stress,” Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology, vol. 22, pp. 417–427, 2008.
  8. P. Muriel, “Peroxidation of lipids and liver damage,” in Oxidants, Antioxidants and Free Radicals, S. I. Baskin and H. Salem, Eds. Washington, DC, USA: Taylor & Francis, 1997, pp. 237–357.
  9. K. Apel and H. Hirt, “Reactive oxygen species: Metabolism, oxidative stress, and signal transduction,” Annual Review of Plant Biology, vol. 55, pp. 373–399, 2004.
  10. J. M. McCord, “The evolution of free radicals and oxidative stress,” The American Journal of Medicine, vol. 108, pp. 652–659, 2000.
  11. S. Sakaguchi et al., “Progression of alcoholic and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: Common metabolic aspects of innate immune system and oxidative stress,” Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, vol. 26, pp. 30–46, 2011.
  12. H. Cichoz-Lach and A. Michalak, “Oxidative stress as a crucial factor in liver diseases,” World Journal of Gastroenterology, vol. 20, pp. 8082–8091, 2014.
  13. D. Wu and A. I. Cederbaum, “Oxidative stress and alcoholic liver disease,” Seminars in Liver Disease, vol. 29, pp. 141–154, 2009.
  14. D. J. Betteridge, “What is oxidative stress?” Metabolism, vol. 49, pp. 38, 2000.
  15. T. Yoshikawa and Y. Naito, “What is oxidative stress?” JMAJ, vol. 45, pp. 271–276, 2002.
  16. J. A. L. Ternay and V. Sorokin, “Redox, radicals, and antioxidants,” in Oxidants, Antioxidants and Free Radicals, S. I. Baskin and H. Salem, Eds. Washington, DC, USA: Taylor & Francis, 1997, pp. 121.
  17. Y. Feng et al., “Hepatoprotective effect and possible mechanism of Coptidis rhizoma aqueous extract on carbon tetrachloride-induced chronic liver hepatotoxicity in rats,” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 138, pp. 683–690, 2011.
  18. A. K. Singal, S. C. Jampana, and S. A. Weinman, “Antioxidants as therapeutic agents for liver disease,” Liver International, vol. 31, pp. 1432–1448, 2011.
  19. J. Medina and R. Moreno-Otero, “Pathophysiological basis for antioxidant therapy in chronic liver disease,” Drugs, vol. 65, pp. 2445–2461, 2005.
  20. H. E. Palma et al., “Oxidative stress parameters in blood, liver, and kidney of diabetic rats treated with curcumin and/or insulin,” Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, vol. 386, pp. 199–210, 2014.
  21. C. R. Bosoi et al., “Systemic oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of brain oedema in rats with chronic liver failure,” Free Radical Biology and Medicine, vol. 52, pp. 1228–1235, 2012.
  22. H. Wang et al., “p47phox contributes to albuminuria and kidney fibrosis in mice,” Kidney International, vol. 87, pp. 948–962, 2015.
  23. M. J. Valente et al., “Contribution of oxidative metabolism to cocaine-induced liver and kidney damage,” Current Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 19, pp. 5601–5610, 2012.
  24. H. Tsukamoto, K. Machida, A. Dynnyk, and H. Mkrtchyan, “Second hit models of alcoholic liver disease,” Seminars in Liver Disease, vol. 29, pp. 178–187, 2009.
  25. I. Emerit et al., “Oxidative stress in chronic hepatitis C: Protective effects of antioxidant flavonoids,” Hepatogastroenterology, vol. 52, pp. 530–536, 2005.
  26. M. Eroglu, “Oxidative stress and benefits of antioxidant agents in acute and chronic hepatitis,” Hepatic Medicine, vol. 12, pp. 160–167, 2012.
  27. E. Vilar-Gomez et al., “Weight loss through lifestyle modification significantly reduces features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis,” Gastroenterology, vol. 149, pp. 367–378, 2015.
  28. E. Buzzetti, M. Pinzani, and E. A. Tsochatzis, “The multiple-hit pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” Metabolism, vol. 65, pp. 1038–1048, 2016.
  29. Y. Yamazaki et al., “Role of nuclear receptor CAR in carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity,” World Journal of Gastroenterology, vol. 11, pp. 5966–5972, 2005.
  30. U. A. Boelsterli, H. K. Ho, S. Zhou, and K. Y. Leow, “Bioactivation and hepatotoxicity of nitroaromatic drugs,” Current Drug Metabolism, vol. 7, pp. 715–727, 2006.
  31. A. Pandit, T. Sachdeva, and P. Bafna, “Drug-induced hepatotoxicity: A review,” Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science, vol. 2, pp. 233–243, 2012.
  32. M. Eslam et al., “A new definition for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: An international expert consensus statement,” Journal of Hepatology, vol. 73, pp. 202–209, 2020.
  33. C. D. Hansen et al., “Effect of low-carbohydrate high-fat diet versus high-carbohydrate low-fat diet on type 2 diabetes and NAFLD,” Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 176, pp. 10–21, 2023.
  34. H. Yki-Järvinen, P. K. Luukkonen, L. Hodson, and J. B. Moore, “Dietary carbohydrates and fats in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,” Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, vol. 18, pp. 770–786, 2021.
  35. U. Hayat et al., “The effect of coffee consumption on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis: A meta-analysis,” Annals of Hepatology, vol. 20, p. 100254, 2021.
  36. M. E. Rinella et al., “AASLD practice guidance on clinical assessment and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,” Hepatology, vol. 77, pp. 1797–1835, 2023.
  37. L. A. Feagins et al., “Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A potential consequence of tumour necrosis factor-inhibitor therapy,” European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, vol. 27, pp. 1154–1160, 2015.
  38. C. S. Coffin et al., “Liver diseases associated with anti-TNF-α therapy for inflammatory bowel disease,” Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, vol. 17, pp. 479–484, 2011.
  39. T. H. Frazier et al., “Treatment of alcoholic liver disease,” Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, vol. 4, pp. 63–81, 2011.
  40. Lirussi, F.; Azzalini, L.; Orando, S.; Orlando, R.; Angelico, F. Antioxidant supplements for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and/or steatohepatitis. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 2007, 24, CD004996.
  41. C. Carter-Kent, N. N. Zein, and A. E. Feldstein, “Cytokines in the pathogenesis of fatty liver and progression to steatohepatitis,” The American Journal of Gastroenterology, vol. 103, pp. 1036–1042, 2008.
  42. M. Naziroglu, P. J. Butterworth, and T. T. Sonmez, “Dietary vitamin C and E modulate antioxidant levels in diabetic aged rats,” International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, vol. 81, pp. 347–357, 2011.
  43. M. Salehi, H. Karegar-Borzi, M. Karimi, and R. Rahimi, “Medicinal plants for management of gastroesophageal reflux disease: A review of animal and human studies,” J. Altern. Complement. Med., vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 82–95, 2016.
  44. N. Rodrigues, A. Almeida, H. Silva, D. Pinto, A. Seca, and M. Pereira, “Potential anti-inflammatory effects of Artemisia gorgonum on rat liver injury induced by CCl₄ – Erratum,” Microsc. Microanal., pp. 1–2, 2016.
  45. N. Takada, S. Takase, A. Takada, and T. Date, “Differences in the hepatitis C virus genotypes in different countries,” J. Hepatol., vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 277–283, 1993.
  46. N. Amat, H. Upur, and B. Blažeković, “In vivo hepatoprotective activity of the aqueous extract of Artemisia absinthium L. against chemically and immunologically induced liver injuries in mice,” J. Ethnopharmacol., vol. 131, no. 2, pp. 478–484, 2010.
  47. G. M. Dusheiko, “Summary: Antiviral treatment of hepatitis C virus,” Antiviral Res., vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 77–82, 1996.
  48. R. W. Chamberlain, N. Adams, A. A. Saeed, P. Simmonds, and R. M. Elliott, “Complete nucleotide sequence of a type 4 hepatitis C virus variant, the predominant genotype in the Middle East,” J. Gen. Virol., vol. 78, no. 6, pp. 1341–1347, 1997.
  49. F. McOmish et al., “Geographical distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in blood donors: An international collaborative survey,” J. Clin. Microbiol., vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 884–892, 1994.
  50. N. Y. Gond and S. S. Khadabadi, “Hepatoprotective activity of Ficus carica leaf extract on rifampicin-induced hepatic damage in rats,” Indian J. Pharm. Sci., vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 364–366, 2008.
  51. H. Sato et al., “Therapeutic basis of glycyrrhizin on chronic hepatitis B,” Antiviral Res., vol. 30, nos. 2–3, pp. 171–177, 1996.
  52. P. F. Surai, “Silymarin as a natural antioxidant: An overview of the current evidence and perspectives,” Antioxidants, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 204–247, 2015.
  53. The Plant List, “The Plant List Version 1.1,” 2013. [Online]. Available: http://www.theplantlist.org
  54. W. Y. Sun, W. Wei, L. Wu, S. Y. Gui, and H. Wang, “Effects and mechanisms of extract from Paeonia lactiflora and Astragalus membranaceus on liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats,” J. Ethnopharmacol., vol. 112, no. 3, pp. 514–523, 2007.
  55. C. C. Hsieh, H. L. Fang, and W. C. Lina, “Inhibitory effect of Solanum nigrum on thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in mice,” J. Ethnopharmacol., vol. 119, no. 1, pp. 117–121, 2008.
  56. S. Sultana, S. Perwaiz, M. Iqbal, and M. Athar, “Crude extracts of hepatoprotective plants, Solanum nigrum and Cichorium intybus, inhibit free radical-mediated DNA damage,” J. Ethnopharmacol., vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 189–192, 1995.
  57. A. Khatri, A. Garg, and S. S. Agrawal, “Evaluation of hepatoprotective activity of aerial parts of Tephrosia purpurea L. and stem bark of Tecomella undulata,” J. Ethnopharmacol., vol. 122, no. 1, pp. 1–5, 2009.
  58. H. Hosseinzadeh and M. Nassiri-Asl, “Pharmacological effects of Glycyrrhiza spp. and its bioactive constituents: Update and review,” Phytother. Res., vol. 29, no. 12, pp. 1868–1886, 2015.
  59. A. S. Abdulkarim et al., “Hepatitis C virus genotypes and hepatitis G virus in hemodialysis patients from Syria: Identification of two novel hepatitis C virus subtypes,” Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., vol. 59, no. 4, pp. 571–576, 1998.
  60. T. A. Cha et al., “Use of a signature nucleotide sequence of the hepatitis C virus for detection of viral RNA in human serum and plasma,” J. Clin. Microbiol., vol. 29, no. 11, pp. 2528–2534, 1991.

The benefits of using medicinal plants that are hepatoprotective in nature are valuable to doctors and researchers alike. The most significant reason that makes herbal products a popular option is their lower cost than pharmaceuticals, as well as their relatively fewer potential side effects and greater overall safety profile; thus, many patients prefer to use them versus pharmaceuticals. In this paper, we will focus on the phytochemical composition of the selected herbs, as well as their pharmacological activity and the outcomes of clinical studies pertinent to those herbs: 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.) and Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., Litsea coreana (H. Lev.), Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Lycium barbarum, and Cuscuta chinensis (Lam.). Several functions are carried out by the liver, one of them being: the performing, maintaining homeostasis, the providing of nutrients and energy supplys and also being used as the source of growth and metabolism regulation within the body. Approximately 10% of all deaths recorded in the United States can be contributed to drug-induced liver injury. Conclusively, if one uses the criteria above to identify drug-induced hepatotoxicity, approved medications can be identified as having contributed to over one-half (50%) of the>1,000 cases of severe hepatic impairment in the ALFSG cohort of patients admitted to 17 different sites in the U.S. In addition, the liver is capable of activating or inactivating through a chemical process, exogenous and endogenous xenobiotics (foreign chemicals added to body) due to its defence mechanisms, resulting in a state of dysfunction (chronic liver disease) at the anatomical and/or functional level and thus resulting in pathophysiological changes leading to hepatotoxicty. Liver disease is a global health issue, as the liver is the main tissue responsible for detoxifying agents and maintaining normal metabolic functions. Additionally, the liver metabolises compounds that can lead to the generation of free radicals (FR) within the liver. Antioxidants help to destroy FR and thus allow the liver to maintain its oxidative and antioxidative balance; when the balance becomes disrupted.

Keywords : Oxidative Stress; Antioxidant; Hepatoprotection, Pathophology, Liver Disease, Medicinal Plants, Phytochemicals.

Paper Submission Last Date
31 - March - 2026

SUBMIT YOUR PAPER CALL FOR PAPERS
Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe