29.2.6.4 Andrographis paniculata

Andrographis paniculata is a well-known plant for treating liver disorders. It

belongs to family Acanthaceae and is commonly known as kalmegh. The plant is

very bitter, and therefore it is known as “king of bitters”. The main active constituent

present in the plant is andrographolide which is responsible for the hepatoprotective

activity. It is reported that the methanol extract of A. paniculata showed 32%

recovery in CCl4 toxicity in rats. The protective effects of andrographolide are

comparable to silymarin against liver damage by various drugs by reducing the

oxidative stress (Handa and Sharma 1990).

29.2.6.5 Apium graveolens

A. graveolens is a medicinal plant that belongs to family Umbelliferae and is

commonly known as celery. It is an edible plant that grows mostly in Mediterranean

areas (Rechinger et al. 1994; Kooti et al. 2014). A. graveolens is rich in beta

carotene, folic acid, vitamin C, chlorophyll, fibre, magnesium, silica, potassium

and

sodium.

The

essential

oil

mainly

contains

δ-limonene

and

various

sesquiterpenes:

isoimperatorin,

isoquercitrin,

linoleic

acid,

coumarins,

furanocoumarins (including bergapten), flavonoids (apigenin, apiin), phenolic

compounds, choline and some unidentified alkaloids (Asif et al. 2011; Nagella

et al. 2012). In Iranian medicine, seeds of this plant are used in the treatment of

liver ailments and other disorders that affect the liver and showed hepatoprotective

activity. On examining the antihepatotoxic effect of A. graveolens seeds, the most

significant effect was shown by methanolic extract on rat liver (Asif et al. 2011).

29.2.6.6 Asparagus racemosus

Asparagus racemosus dried roots and leaves contain hepatoprotective ingredients. It

belongs to family Liliaceae and is commonly known as shatavari. It is found

throughout Australia, India, Sri Lanka, South China and tropical Africa. In India,

it is found in tropical, subtropical, dry and deciduous forests and also in the

Himalayas at 4000 ft height and also in plains. The main constituents present in

the plant are alkaloids, tannins, saponins, diosgenin and proteins. It also contains

phytoestrogen triterpene saponins known as shatavarin I to IV. The roots of the plant

are used as an anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and anti-epileptic and also in kidney

problems. It has been used in Ayurveda in the treatment of liver disorders, CNS

disorders and some infectious diseases (Madhavan et al. 2010). The hydroalcoholic

extract of A. racemosus and its fractions were evaluated against CCl4-induced

hepatotoxicity. Pretreatment with various extracts resulted in significant decrease

in the oxidative stress and serum markers such as glutamate oxaloacetate transami-

nase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin showing

its potent hepatoprotective action (Acharya et al. 2012).

29.2.6.7 Berberis vulgaris

B. vulgaris is a shrub of Berberidaceae family and is commonly known as barberry.

It is 1–3 m in height and is found in many regions of the world including Iran

(Parsaee et al. 2006). The active constituents of this plant are berberine,

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