Perspectives of Indian Medicinal Plants in the Management of Liver Disorders

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgements. Introduction to the book. 1. Introduction: i. Liver disorders -- concept and prevalence. ii. Current management and limitations. iii. Potential of medicinal plants in liver disorders. iv. Objectives of the monograph. 2. An overview of biology of liver: i. Gross anatomy and histology. ii. Functions and biochemistry of liver. 3. Perception of liver disorders: i. Ayurvedic system. ii. Unani system. iii. Siddha system. iv. Allopathic system. 4. Management of liver disorders: i. Ayurvedic system. ii. Unani system. iii. Allopathic system. 5. Medicinal plants and formulations used in liver disorders: i. Medicinal plants used in Ayurveda. ii. Classical compound formulations containing medicinal plants. iii. Medicinal plants used in Unani. iv. Unani compound formulations containing medicinal plants. v. Common Unani remedies used in liver disorders. vi. Medicinal plants used in Siddha. vii. Selected medicinal plants used in floklore. 6. Medicinal plants used in liver disorders and investigated with modern approach: i. Andrographis paniculata (Burm.) wall.ex nees. ii. Boerhavia diffusa Linn. iii. Cichorium intybus Linn. iv. Curcuma longa Linn. v. Eclipta prostrata (Linn.) Linn. vi. Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn. vii. Phyllanthus amarus schum. & Thonn. viii. Picrorhiza kurrooa royle ex benth. ix. Plumbago zeylanica Linn. x. Silybum marianum (Linn.) gaertn. xi. Swertia chirayita (Roxb. ex flem.) Karst. xii. Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook.f. & Thoms. 7. Methods and parameters of hepatoprotective evaluation of medicinal plants: i. Hepatotoxins for experimental models. ii. Biochemical parameters for evaluating hepatic functions. iii. Histopathology. iv. Studies on isolated hepatocytes. v. Choleretic and anticholestic activity. vi. Antifibrotic activity. 8. Discussion and future approach. 9. Summary. Appendices. Indices.

From the preface: This publication after giving an overview of liver biology, provides perception of liver disorders as described in Ayurvedic, Unani and Allopathic systems of medicine followed by management of liver diseases under these systems covering clinical correlates of different kinds of liver disorders, differential diagnosis and management of the disorders by use of plants, classical formulations, modern drugs and dietary management. Listing of medicinal plants and classical formulations containing medicinal plants used in liver disorders have been separately given. Selected 12 medicinal plants used in liver disorders and investigated with modern approach have been thoroughly reviewed giving botanical description, Ayurvedic properties, traditional uses, chemical constituents, standardization and quality control, hepatoprotective/choleretic activity, clinical trials, dosage, toxic/adverse effects etc.

In order to encourage research work in the area of hepatoprotective plants, a full chapter has been devoted to methods and parameters of hepatoprotective evaluation of medicinal plants. In India, lot of work is done at various institutes on screening of medicinal plants for hepatoprotective activity and there are interesting leads available which need to be pursued to logical ends. Hope this publication will be of help to researchers, academicians, hepatologists and clinicians interested in liver protecting drugs from plants.