Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine & Molecular Diagnostics

Biography

Biography: Sangeeta Shukla

Abstract

Liver disease including hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer is the leading cause of death. Approximately 25,000 Americans die per year from chronic liver disease and more than 300,000 people are hospitalized per year due to cirrhosis. Th e harmful use of alcohol results in 2.5 million deaths worldwide per year. Excessive alcohol consumption is a major cause of preventable premature death, accounting for 1.4% of all deaths registered in England and Wales in 2012. Th us to create new herbal-based therapeutic approaches that are targeting the liver has been explored. Th is aims to develop effective drugs that can stimulate hepatic function or helps to regenerate hepatic cells. Artmisia absinthium, Rosa damascena, Butea monosperma, Nigella sativa, Rewand chini, Polygonum bistorta and polyherbal formulations were investigated against toxicants (CCl4, acetaminophen, alcohol, galactosamine, anti-tubercular drugs like isoniazid, rifampicin etc.) Research has also shown that herbals enhance the detoxifi cation rate of toxicants by reducing the oxidative stress/associated with drug metabolizing system, protected DNA from oxidative damage and reversed the level of hepatic markers. Choleretic activity, hexobarbitone-induced sleep time and plasma bromosulphalein retention also improved liver functions aft er herbal therapy. Th e histopathological observations revealed that cellular and ultra-structural pathological changes were reversed by mitigating of toxicant metabolic eff ects indicating improve hepatic morphology and physiological functions. Th e data suggests that herbals have an efficient protective mechanism against hepato toxicants. Statistical analysis of these herbal agents showed signifi cant hepato-protective index. Th us, it can be concluded that these herbal agents may be considered as a good hepatoprotective agent by medical practitioners for liver ailments