Effect of a herbal hepatoprotective product on drug metabolism in patients of cirrhosis and hepatic enzyme function in experimental liver damage

A compound herbal product, mixture of 6 herbs, advocated as a hepatoprotective and hepatocorrective agent was investigated to determine its efficacy on various hepatic enzyme functions. Since chronic hepatocellular disease is known to be associated with impaired hepatic drug metabolism, the extent of restoration by the product, if any, in hepatic drug metabolising capacity of patients of cirrhosis was studied by estimation of serum antipyrine half-life. In patients of cirrhosis 3 weeks oral treatment with this compound reduced antipyrine half-life significantly (P 0.001) from 29.3n 1 1 h, to 17.9n 0.9 h after treatment. In experimental carbon tetrachloride induced acute and chronic liver damage in rats, pretreatment with this product was effective in inhibiting triglyceride accumulation in hepatic cells and in protecting the liver against increase in hydroxyproline content.