Hepatoprotective Activity of Medicinal Plants: A Comprehensive Review

Liver diseases are a significant global health concern, contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality. Conventional pharmacological therapies often provide limited efficacy and may be associated with adverse effects, high costs, and incomplete recovery, prompting interest in alternative treatments. Medicinal plants, long used in traditional systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, are rich in bioactive phytochemicals including flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, and glycosides that confer hepatoprotective effects through antioxidant activity, modulation of inflammatory pathways, inhibition of fibrosis, enhancement of detoxification enzymes, and prevention of hepatocyte apoptosis. Key plants such as Silybum marianum, Curcuma longa, and Phyllanthus niruri have shown significant hepatoprotective potential in preclinical and clinical studies. However, limitations such as phytochemical variability, lack of standardization, and insufficient clinical evidence hinder their broader therapeutic application. This review highlights the mechanistic insights, experimental models, and clinical relevance of hepatoprotective medicinal plants, emphasizing the need for rigorous research to validate their efficacy and safety for integration into modern liver disease management.