Nutraceutical Potential of Indigenous Plant Foods and Herbs for Treatment of Alcohol-Related Liver Damage

Ingestion of ethanol from the alcoholic beverages results in formation of acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase and then into acetic acid by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Thus, acetaldehyde is the first metabolic product of ethanol, as well as an intermediate in other metabolic processes, which is more toxic than ethanol and linked to most of the clinical effects of alcohol. It has been shown to increase the risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, multiple forms of cancer, and alcoholism [1]. It is also known that acetaldehyde readily reacts with amines, and in the case of the exocyclic nitrogens of nucleosides, the primary product [R2 > N–CH(CH3)–OH] has a very reactive hydroxyl group, which rapidly condenses with alcohols to give stable mixed acetals [R2 > N–CH(CH3)–O–C2H5] at ambient temperature [2].