Hepatoprotective natural products

Abstract Globally liver diseases are on the rise; some of the causes include viral hepatitis, liver carcinoma, non-alcoholic or too much alcohol consumption-induced fatty liver disease, immune disorders, cholestatic and metabolic disorders, adverse effects (hepatotoxicity) arising from food and allopathic or traditional medications, fungal infections, schistosomiasis, and infections with other parasites like liver flukes and tapeworms. In the United States alone, an estimated 25 million Americans are afflicted with liver diseases and liver cirrhosis is the 7th leading cause of death. This enormous health care burden is not possible to be borne by the people of developing countries. Newer drugs need to be found and phytochemicals obtained from plants can be a potential source for such drugs. The present review will deal with hepatoprotective phytochemicals belonging to phenolic acid, phenyl propanoid, lignan, terpenoid, stilbenoid, curcuminoid, carotenoid, glycoside, saponin, flavone, flavonoid, and alkaloid groups and discuss their mechanism of action in prevention and treatment of hepatic disorders.