LivoClear

LivoClear compound has completely antagonized the toxic effects of Paracetamol on certain enzymes in serums as well as in isolated hepatic cells. The plant p. Kurroa has been found to be having hepatoprotective activities against alcohol, ccl4 and aflatoxin b1 induced hepatic damage. Amoebicidal, anti-tuberculous and other anti-protozoal activity of individual alkaloids specially, conessine (kurchi) have been extensively investigated. Livoclear containing lignans blocks DNA polymerase, the enzyme needed for the hepatitis B virus to reproduce. This is effective in jaundice and also for diarrhoea, dysentery and dyspepsia (J. B. Roy State Ayurvedic Medical College & Hospital, Govt. of West Bengal , Kolkata). 

A clinical trial report of "LivoClear"
LivoClear was given to the patients (male 11, female 13, age group 10 ?60 years) through p.o. route (dose: One capsule t.i.d.). The patients were suffering from haemolytic jaundice, cirrhosis of liver, hepatitis, and alcoholic liver diseases. 
After 7 days' consecutive treatment with LivoClear, biochemical studies revealed that lipid level was normalised significantly. It was also noted that serum bilirubin level (conjugated & unconjugated) was reduced markedly. Most of the patients were relieved from griping pan and irregular bowel movement and revival of loss of appetite was noticed within a week. SGPT & SGOT levels were normalized after 14 days' consecutive treatment of LivoClear. It is suggested that the Ayurvedic medicine LivoClear is very much effective remedy against all sorts of acute and chronic liver disorders. LivoClearcan also be used as prophylactic medicine to root out liver disorders. It is free from any side effects. 

Phyllanthus amarus

Its root, leaves, fruits, milky juice, and whole plants are used as medicine. According to Ayurvedic system of medicine it is considered acrid, cooling, alexipharmic and useful in thirst, bronchitis, leprosy, anaemia, urinary discharge, anuria, biliousness, asthma, for hiccups, and as a diuretic.

According to Unani system of medicine herb is stomachic and good for sores and useful in chronic dysentery. Fruits useful for tubercular ulcers, wounds, sores, scabies and ring-worm (Agharkar 1991; Krishnamurty 1993). The fresh root is believed to be an excellent remedy for jaundice. A poultice of the leaves with salt cures scabby affection and without salt applied on bruise and wounds. The milky juice is a good application to offensive sores. The bark yields a bitter principle phyllanthin. The infusion of the root and leaves is a good tonic and diuretic when taken cold in repeated doses.

In different parts of India , specially, in Chhattisgarh state, there is a rich traditional medicinal tradition concerning this weed (Caius 1986; Oudhia and Tiwari 2001). In many parts of India , it is commonly used for the treatment of snakebite. The active compounds phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin have been isolated from leaves. Recently, lignansniranthin, nirtetralin, and phyltetralin have been isolated from leaves. (Rastogi and Mehrotra, 1991) It is a major component of many popular liver tonics in India. Fresh juice and powder of dried plant are used most frequently in Ayurvedic preparations (Sastry and Kavatherkar, 1991).

Picrorhiza kurroa

Picrorhiza kurroa (Pk), a known hepatoprotective plant, was studied in experimental and clinical situations. The standardization of active principles--Picroside 1 and 2 was done with High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Picroside 1 ranged from 2.72 to 2.88 mg/capsule and picroside 2 from 5.50 to 6.00 mg/capsule. In the galactosamine-induced liver injury in rats, Pk at a dose of 200-mg/kg p.o. showed a significant reduction (p<0.05) in liver lipid content, GOT and GPT. In a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled trial in patients diagnosed to have acute viral hepatitis (HBsAg negative), Pk root powder 375 mg three times a day was given for 2 weeks (n=15) or a matching placebo (n=18) was given. Difference in values of bilirubin, SGOT and SGPT was significant between placebo and Pk groups.

The time in days required for total serum bilirubin to drop to average value of 2.5 mg% was 75.9 days in placebo as against 27.44 days in Pk group. The present study has shown a biological plausibility of efficacy of Pk as supported by clinical trial in viral hepatitis, hepatoprotection in animal model and an approach for standardizing extracts based on picroside content.

Numerous animal studies, primarily in rats, have demonstrated that the active constituents of Picrorhiza kurroa are effective at preventing liver toxicity and the subsequent biochemical changes caused by numerous toxic agents. Hepatocytes damaged by exposure to galactosamine, thiocetamide, and carbon tetrachloride was incubated with Picrorhiza constituents. A concentration-dependent restorative effect was observed in regard to normal hepatocyte function.

A similar effect was seen when 25-mg/kg/day oral Picrorhiza extract was administered to rats poisoned by aflatoxin B1 exposure. Picrorhiza kurroa significantly prevented the biochemical changes induced by aflatoxin B1. Picrorhiza extract, when given at a dose of 3-12 mg/kg orally for 45 days, was also shown to be effective in reversing ethanol-induced liver damage in rats.

In an animal model of hepatic ischemia, rats given Picrorhiza orally at 12 mg/kg daily for 7 days, prior to induced ischemia, demonstrated improved hepatocyte glycogen preservation and reduced apoptosis, compared to control animals.

Picrorhiza principals have also shown to be effective in treating Amanita mushroom poisoning in an in vivo animal model.

An in vitro study demonstrated Picrorhiza's antioxidant activity by subjecting human Glioma and Hep 3B cells to a hypoxic state. Picrorhiza treatment reduced the cellular damage cause by hypoxia, indicating Picrorhiza constituents may protect against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced injuries.

Andrographis paniculata

Andrographis paniculata, (AP), also known commonly as "King of Bitters," is a member of the plant family Acanthaceae, and has been used for centuries in Asia to treat GI tract and upper respiratory infections, fever, herpes, sore throat, and a variety of other chronic and infectious diseases. It is found in the Indian Pharmacopoeia and is the prominent in at least 26 Ayurvedic formulas.

Since ancient times, A. paniculata is used as a wonder drug in traditional Siddha and Ayurvedic systems of medicine as well as in tribal medicine in India and some other countries for multiple clinical applications. The therapeutic value of Kalmegh is due to its mechanism of action, which is perhaps by enzyme induction. The plant extracts exhibits antityphoid and antifungal activities. Kalmegh is also reported to possess antihepatotoxic, antibiotic (Gupta et al., 1993), antimalarial, antihepatitic (Jayaram et al., 1989; Ramfi et al., 1992), antithrombogenic, Jaundice (Tomar et al., 1983), anti-inflammatory (Tajuddin et al., 1983; Shen et al., 2000), anti-snake venom, and antipyretic properties to mention a few, besides its general use as an immuno-stimulant agent. A recent study conducted at Bastyr University , USA confirms anti-HIV activity of andrographolide.

In Ayurvedic medicine (a system used in India ), there are 26 different formulations containing AP that are used to treat liver disorders. AP's four related medicinal compounds were tested for a protective effect against liver toxicity produced in mice by giving them carbon tetrachloride (a cleaning solvent), alcohol, or other toxic chemicals. (Kapil, A., I.B. Koul, S.K. Banerjee, and B.D. Gupta. 1993).

Antihepatotoxic effects of major diterpenoid constituents of Andrographis paniculata. Biochemical Pharmacology 46(1):182-85. ). These chemicals damage the liver by causing lipid peroxidation. This is a process whereby free radicals (reactive molecules) produced by the chemical attack and destroy cellular membranes that surround liver cells. When the AP compounds were given to animals three days before the toxic chemicals, there was a significant protective effect in the liver. This effect was attributed to the antioxidant ability of the AP compounds, which was effective as silymarin (another plant antioxidant from milk thistle).

In another study, andrographolide from AP was shown to produce a significant increase in bile flow. (Shukla, B., P.K.S. Visen, G.K. Patnaik, and B.N. Dhawan. 1992. Choleretic effect of andrographolide in rats and guinea pigs. Planta Med. 58:146-48. ). Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder and aids in digestion. When a chemical, Paracetamol, was given to animals pretreated with andrographolide, the usual decrease in bile production seen with this chemical was prevented. In this case andrographolide was more potent than silymarin.

Infective hepatitis is an acute inflammatory condition of the liver. It is often followed by liver cirrhosis and may progress to a coma and death. In India , where ancient physicians used AP to treat similar liver ailments, a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of AP in infective hepatitis. There was marked improvement in the majority of patients tested, when given a decoction or infusion of AP. Appetite improved on the fifth day of treatment, jaundice (yellow colour of conjunctive of the eye and skin) gradually diminished and completely disappeared within 24 days, and fever subsided after 7 days on average. Other indications of effectiveness of AP included improvement in liver function tests. The researchers concluded that AP was a useful remedy for treatment of infective hepatitis.

The andrographolides present in AP are potent stimulators of gallbladder function. In animal experiments, those that received andrographolides for seven consecutive days showed an increase in bile flow, bile salts, and bile acids. These increases are beneficial and result in enhanced gallbladder function. Use of AP might, therefore, decrease the probability of gallstone formation and might also aid fat digestion. The andrographolides also prevented decreases in the amount of bile that are caused by acetaminophen toxicity (Holt & Comac, 1998).

References

Agharkar, S.P. 1991. Medicinal plants of Bombay presidency. Scientific Publ, Jodhpur, India.

Caius, J.F. 1986. The medicinal and poisonous plants of India. Scientific Publ., Jodhpur India. p. 220–223.

Chem Weiming and Liang Xiaotion. Deoxyandrographolide 19ß-D-glucoside from the leaves of A. paniculata, Planta Medica 1982; 15: 245-246.

Chemistry and pharmacology of Andrographis species' by Sudhanshu Saxena et al published in Indian Drugs 35 (8) August 1998

Gupta, O.P. 1984. Scientific weed management. Today and Tomorrow's Printers and Publ., New Delhi.

Holt, Stephen M.D., Linda Comac, Miracle Herbs: How Herbs Combine with Modern Medicine to Treat Cancer, Heart Disease, AIDS, and More, Caro Publishing Group, 1998

B. Roy State Ayurvedic Medical College & Hospital, Govt. of West Bengal, Kolkata.

Kapil, A., I.B. Koul, S.K. Banerjee, and B.D. Gupta. 1993. Antihepatotoxic effects of major diterpenoid constituents of Andrographis paniculata. Biochemical Pharmacology 46(1):182-85.

Krishnamurty, T. 1993. Minor forest products of India. Oxford and IBH Publ, Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.

Oudhia, P. and R.S. Tripathi. 2002, Prospects of cultivation of medicinal plants in Chattisgarh, India. p. 211–236. In: Recent progress in medicinal plants, Vol. 5, Crop improvement, production technology, trade and commerce. Sci Tech Publ, USA.

Oudhia, P. and Tiwari, U.K. 2001. Aushadhi Paudho Ki Kheti: Kab aur Kaise. Srishti Herbal Academy and Research Institute (SHARI), Raipur, India.

Paranjape, P. 2001. Indian medicinal plants : Forgotten healers. Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratisthan, Delhi; p. 48–49.

Rastogi, R.P. and B.N. Mehrotra. 1991. Compendium of Indian medicinal plants Vol. II. Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow and publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi.

Sastry, T.C.S. and K.R. Kavathekar. 1990. Plants for reclamation of wastelands. Publication and Information Directorate, New Delhi.

Sharma, A., L. Krishan, and S.S. Handa. 1992. Standardization of the Indian crude drug Kalmegh by high pressure liquid chromatographic determination of andrographolide. Phytochemical analysis 3:129-31

Shukla, B., P.K.S. Visen, G.K. Patnaik, and B.N. Dhawan. 1992. Choleretic effect of andrographolide in rats and guinea pigs. Planta Med. 58:146-48.

Sing,A.,Kapoor,L.D.,and Chandra, V., Pharmaco-botanic studies of kalmegh, J.ResIndian Med .,7,93,1972

Singh, U., A.M. Wadhwani, and B.M. Johri, 1996. Dictionary of economic plants in India. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi.

Siripong, P., B. Kongkathip, K. Preechanukool, P. Picha, K. Tunsuwan, and W.C. Taylor. 1992. Cytotoxic diterpenoid constituents from Andrographis paniculata, Nees leaves, J. Sci. Soc. Thailand 18(4):187-94.