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Review
. 2024 Jul 20;13(14):1985.
doi: 10.3390/plants13141985.

Natural Products as Hepatoprotective Agents-A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Trials

Piotr Służały  1 , Paweł Paśko  2 , Agnieszka Galanty  1
Affiliations
Review

Natural Products as Hepatoprotective Agents-A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Trials

Piotr Służały et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

The hepatoprotective effects of natural products have been a significant focus in recent decades due to the growing demand for the help in the treatment of hepatic impairments. This review specifically delves into the findings of clinical trials involving 13 selected natural products, namely plants and their derived compounds (e.g., artichoke, berberine, and turmeric), algae (e.g., spirulina), probiotics, and other products like phospholipids and vitamin D. A literature search was performed in the Scopus database, PubMed, and Google Scholar, covering all articles found up to June 2024. Artichoke, berberine, chlorella, chicory, green tea, probiotics, phospholipids, schisandra, silymarin, spirulina, and vitamin D caused a decrease in liver enzymes, while for cinnamon and turmeric such an effect was either not observed or not convincing. The presented results indicate that some natural products might satisfactorily improve hepatic outcomes in NAFLD, NASH, and other liver disorders; however, further studies and metanalyses are needed to clearly demonstrate their effectiveness.

Keywords: clinical trials; hepatoprotective; herbal medication; liver.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of the clinical trials of natural products presented in this review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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