How local plants boost liver functions
THE liver is an organ about the size of a football that sits just under the rib cage on the right side of the abdomen. The liver is essential for digesting food and ridding the body of toxic substances.
Liver disease can be inherited (genetic) or caused by a variety of factors that damage the liver, such as viruses (hepatitis), alcohol use and aflatoxins from food substances. Obesity is also associated with liver damage.
Liver disease is also called hepatic disease. There are more than a hundred different kinds of liver disease. Symptoms may include jaundice and weight loss.
Over time, damage to the liver results in scarring (cirrhosis), which can lead to liver failure, a life-threatening condition, as well as liver cancer usually induced by hepatitis and aflatoxins.
Aflatoxins are a family of toxins produced by certain fungi that are found on agricultural crops such as maize (corn), peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts. The main fungi that produce aflatoxins are Aspergillusflavus and Aspergillusparasiticus, which are abundant in warm and humid regions of the world.
However, scientists have identified and validated local plants and food items that can protect the liver from damage caused by toxic substances and diseases as well as boost its functions.
Top on the list are: red sandalwood, avocado, turmeric, bitter kola and Phyllanthusamarus ( ngwu in Ibo).
Red Sandal Wood
Pterocarpussantalinoides belongs to the plant family Fabaceae-papilnoideae. The plant is commonly referred to as Red Sandal wood in English, Gundurugyadarkurmi in Hausa, Uturukpa in Igbo and Gbenghe in Yoruba.
Various morphological parts of P.santalinoides are used in traditional medicine, in many African countries, to treat an array of human ailments. The fresh leaves of P.santalinoides are consumed locally, in soups, by the Igbos of South East Nigeria and are reputed to be useful in the treatment of diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal disorders.
A study published in Idosrjournalofscientificresearch concluded: “Pterocarpussantalinoids may possess hepato-protective potential, especially at doses not greater than 600mg/kg body weight. This may be responsible for the application of the leaves of Pterocarpussantalinoids in the management of liver related disorders.”
The researchers from the Departments of Biochemistry, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Biochemistry, Anambra State University, Uli, Nigeria; and Medical Biochemistry, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar noted that various parts of Pterocarpussantalinoids are used by traditional medicine practitioners in Eastern Nigeria in management and treatment of several disorders such as heart and liver related diseases.
The research was carried out to investigate the effect of aqueous extract of fresh leaves of Pterocarpussantalinoids on serum activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) in albino rats. A total of twenty-five adult male albino rats, used in this study, were randomly distributed into five groups (A, B, C, D and E), each group contained five rats. Groups A, B, C and D were administered 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg body weight respectively of the extract for seven (7) consecutive days.
Group E was used as control. There was a decrease in physical activities, the rate of feed and water intake and body weight of the animal in the test groups when compared with the control. AST and ALT activities in the animals given the extract (200 –600mg/kg) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the control group, while those of the group-administered 800mg/kg were significantly higher than the control. This effect was found to dose dependent. The difference between serum total protein concentrations in the tests groups and the control was not significant.
According to the researchers, these results are indicative that aqueous extract of fresh leaves Pterocarpussantalinoidsmay possess hepato-protective potential, especially at doses not greater than 600mg/kg body weight. This may be responsible for the application of the leaves of Pterocarpussantalinoidsin the management of liver related disorders.
Phyllanthusamarus
Phyllanthusamarus belongs to the plant family Euphorbiaceae. To the Efik it is called oyomokesoamankeedem; geeron-tsuntsaayee (birds millet) in Hausa; Ibo (Asaba) buchi oro, Ibo (Umuahia) ngwu; iyeke in Urhobo; and ehinolobe or eyinolobe in Yoruba.
According to Theusefulplantsofwesttropicalafrica by H.M. Burkill, Phyllanthusamarus is a weed of cultivated land and in waste spaces. It is said to have sand-binding properties.
“It is a plant of general medicinal application. In Yorubaland it features in an incantation ‘against disease’. It is an ingredient of the agbo prescription in Lagos. An infusion of leaves is used in the Ibadan area for haemorrhoids.”
A recent study published this year in Biomedicalresearch strongly suggests that the therapy with Phyllanthusamarus increases antioxidants and reduces lipid peroxidation of hepatic cellular and intracellular membranes and protects liver damage due to free radicals in hepatitis-c.
Another study published in Internationaljournalofbiology andmedicalresearch found that the therapy with Phyllanthus amarus increases antioxidants and reduces lipid peroxidation of hepatic cellular and intracellular membranes and protects liver damage due to free radicals in hepatitis-b.
The study focused on effect of Phyllanthusamarus therapy for protection of liver in hepatitis B through investigating liver profile enzymes, antioxidant enzymes, antioxidant vitamins and lipid peroxidation. The study consisted of 65 clinical diagnosed hepatitis B patients ranging in between age group 25 to 60 years. The control group includes 65 ages and sex matched normal healthy persons.
The study reads: “Plasma LPO levels were significantly high but activity of SOD, GPX, catalase and levels of vitamin E and vitamin C were significantly lowered in hepatitis B on comparison with controls. After Phyllanthusamarus therapy for four weeks and eight weeks plasma lipid peroxidation levels were significantly decreased and activity of SOD, GPX, catalase and vitamin E and vitamin C were significantly increased in hepatitis B.”
Bitter kola
Bitter kola can detoxify and protect the liver from any alcohol and food poisoning effects.
How? Scientists have identified bitter kola as a potential antimicrobial and detoxifier. The antibacterial, antiviral, detoxifying and cleansing properties is responsible for being used widely in the treatment of various diseases and infections.
Commonly called bitter kola, false kola and male cola, Garcinia kola belongs to the plant family Clusiaceae. In Nigeria, it is called edun in Bini; efiari in Efik; efiat in Ibibio; akilu, aki-inu or ugolo in Igbo; and okan in Ijaw.
Pharmacological studies on bitter kola published in Handbook of african medicinal plants( Second Edition) by a consultant pharmacognocist, Prof. Maurice M. Iwu, noted: “Garciniakola has been shown to posses remarkable antihepatotoxic activity against a variety of experimental hepatotoxins, including carbon tetrachloride, 2-acetryl-aminofluorene, paracetamol, and galactosamine, and protection against the accumulation of heavy metals in the liver.
“Chronic ingestion of Garcinia kola seeds caused inhibition of gastrointestinal motility and weight reduction and prevented castor oil-induced diarrhea in rats. Other activities of the biflavonoid mixture include those involving anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and antiviral properties. The antiviral activity is quite broad and showed remarkable inhibitory effects against a variety of viruses, including Toro and Pichinde viruses, sandfly fever, influenza A, Venezuelan equine en ce ph a lo myelitis, and Ebola.
“… Kolaviron, the mixture of bioflavonoids, benzophenones, and chromanols, as well as other phenolic compounds in Garcinia, possesses strong antioxidant activities. Several reports on the experimental validation of the antioxidant properties of Garcinia are due essentially to kolaviron…. Kolaviron, the mixture of biflavonoids, benzophenones and chromanols, and related phenolic compounds in Garciniakola possesses strong antioxidant activities.
“…It is intriguing that bioflavonoids of Garciniakola are capable of modulating almost any physiological anomaly. The answer perhaps lies in the role of flavonoids in the evolutionary course of human beings. Humans, over many millennia, have adapted to a diet, which is favourable for their survival and the flavonoid-like structures were part of the physiological system.”
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