Hepatoprotective Molecules from Himalayan Plants and their Role in Xenobiotic Mechanisms: A Tabulated Review

Liver is essential for the maintenance and functioning of the body. The liver is responsible for the majority of the metabolic and physiological performance of our body, as well as the detoxification of different drugs and xenobiotic agents. During the detoxification process, the reactive chemical intermediates damage the liver, resulting in liver toxicity. As a result, maintaining a healthy liver is critical to overall health. Hepatic damage is caused by several factors, including environmental pollutants, such as chemicals, consumption of certain medications, poor eating habits, excessive alcohol, and other hepatotoxins, as well as viruses. The liver is sensitive to a range of diseases, including hepatitis, hepatic steatosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular cancer, as a consequence of its multifunctionality and constant exposure to toxins. These diseases are substantial sources of mortality and morbidity. Long-term use of the current synthetic medicines to treat liver problems causes further liver damage. Herbal medicine is the major source of basic health care for around 75–80% of the world’s population, primarily in developing countries because of its better cultural acceptability, compatibility with the human body, and fewer side effects. Medicinal plants from the Himalayas are used in the Ayurvedic, Unani, and other traditional systems of medicine and plant-based pharmaceutical industries. The Tibetan system of medicine is also based on Himalayan plant species. Herbal medicines are extensively used in the treatment of liver diseases. In the absence of adequate liver hepatoprotective medications in modern medicine, a variety of medicinal plants and their phytochemicals are used to treat hepatic ailments in the traditional system of medicine in the Himalayan regions. The Himalayas are a rich source of medicinal plants and their phytoconstituents, which play a significant role in hepatoprotection. In the current chapter, an attempt was made to collect data on the Himalayan medicinal plants and their biomolecules traditionally used to treat hepatotoxicity.

Keywords: Biomolecules, Hepatoprotection, Himalayas, Liver, Medicinal plants.