NATURALLY DERIVED COMPOUNDS USED FOR PREVENTION OR REGRESSION OF EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED LIVER FIBROSIS

Abstract

Liver fibrosis is a common health problem that is associated with mortality and morbidity worldwide. The inappropriate tissue repair of damaged liver results in over-synthesis and deposition of fibrillar collagen. It is usually associated with progressive pathological and biochemical changes that ultimately lead to structural and metabolic abnormalities and hepatic scarring. If not properly treated, liver fibrosis may develop to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma within few years. Blocking this progression, therefore, could be an effective and potential strategy for survival. The only effective approach to treating advanced liver fibrosis is transplantation. Understanding its etiology and pathophysiology, however, could help to investigate therapeutic pathophysiology based treatment of liver fibrogenesis. Recently several promising natural based treatment methods interfering with cytokines signaling pathway involved in fibrogenesis have been investigated offering new potential therapeutic intervention. The aim of the present updated review is to identify the natural antifibrotic options that have been studied in animal models with liver fibrosis for the treatment of this pathological conditions enabling prevention or at least regression of its progression.