Hepatobiliary diseases pose a major health problem with high cost burden. Cichorium intybus Linn. and Solanum nigrum Linn. have been traditionally used as components of several polyherbal formulations for the treatment of hepatobiliary diseases.

A study published recently in the International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews evaluated the hepatoprotective effects of a combination of C. intybus and S. nigrum given twice a day for three weeks among patients with hepatobiliary diseases.

This single blinded clinical trial enrolled 34 patients with altered liver enzymes. Primary outcomes included levels of liver enzymes, including AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase and serum bilirubin. Secondary outcome variables included a VAS assessment of pain over right hypochondrium, an arbitrary grading scale for anorexia, nausea and vomiting and icterus.

Thirty patients completed the data set. Following three weeks of treatment, a statistically significant improvement was noted in the subjective parameters. Objective parameters also improved significantly, such as serum bilirubin with p value <0.001, AST with p value 0.04, ALT with p value 0.06, ALP with p value 0.03 by using Student t test, Chi-square test and Fisher exact tests.

Anorexia declined by 96.7% (p<0.001), and nausea showed statistically significant improvement (p<0.001). Vomiting improved by 86.7% (statistically significant p<0.001). Icterus also showed 80% improvement, which was statistically significant (p<0.001). There were no adverse effects during or after the study due to the intervention.

The polyherbal formulation thus appeared to have benefits in lowering elevated hepatic enzymes among patients with hepatobiliary diseases and improves secondary outcomes as well, including anorexia, nausea, vomiting and icterus. The findings should be replicated in other intervention studies to further investigate hepatoprotective effects.

Source: Parveen FS, Siddique MA, Quamri MA, et al. Cichorium intybus and Solanum nigrum leave juice (Murawwaquain) reduces raised liver enzymes and improved conditions associated with hepatobiliary diseases: A single blinded, pre and post analytical study.