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Abstract

Medicinal herbs are significant source of pharmaceutical drugs. Latest trends have shown increasing demand of phytodrugs and some medicinal herbs have proven hepatotprotective potential. Silymarin, a flavonol lignan mixture) extracted from the Silybum marianum (milk thistle) is a popular remedy for hepatic diseases. Today every herbal company is marketing formulations for liver disorders but the actual scene is that only selected medicinal herbs have been tested for hepatotprotective activity. Some herbal formulations claiming to be hepatoprotective may actually contain chemical constituents having hepatotoxic potential. Andrographolide (Andrographis paniculata), Glycyrrhizin (Glychyrrhiza glabra), Picrrorihzin (Picrorrhiza kurroa) and Hypo-phyllanthin (Phyllanthus niruri) are potential candidates with hepatoprotective activity. The article reviews latest trends in testing of isolated constituents with hepatoprotective activity.

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