HEPATOPROTECTIVE DRUGS A STUDY ON THEIR PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY
AbstractPlants are the major sources of hepatoprotective drugs and formulations, and this is the reason that their phytoconstituents are in great demand commercially. These drugs act prophylactically for the wellbeing of the liver as well as can cure an ailing liver. The liver is the largest solid organ and gland present in the human body. While it plays a major role in various metabolic reactions of the body, it can get damaged due to various reasons. The reasons can be consumption of excessive alcohol, jaundice, an overdose of allopathic drugs like Paracetamol etc. Lot of scientists have worked to find out the chemical constituents present in the hepatoprotective herbs and their actions on the liver. All the studies carried out by the team of scientists have been compiled in this article; therefore, the present review highlights all the important hepatoprotective herbs, their reported major constituents, and their effect on the liver. The herbs which are included in this article are Silybum marianum (Milk Thistle), Allium sativum (Garlic), Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice), Picrorrhiza kuroa (Kutki) and Schisandra chinensis (Wu Wei Zi).