Background: Liver disease rates are gradually increasing over the years, becoming a severe public health problem. The indiscriminate use of drugs associated with a rich fat diet, high consumption of alcoholic beverages, and exposure to viral infections and lipid peroxidative products are considered the chief factors for developing hepatic disorders. Owing to the absence of reliable hepatoprotective drugs in the therapeutic arsenal, since they present a high incidence of adverse reactions and/or lack of efficacy in some cases, liver diseases are widely treated with medicinal plants. Among them are the plants producing iridoids, which are believed to be good remedies for liver disease due to their bitter taste. The hepatoprotective effect of iridoids and extracts, rich in these compounds, has been demonstrated, both in vitro and in vivo.
Objective: This review aims to scrutinize the available literature related to the hepatoprotective activity of iridoids.
Methods: The information was obtained from scientific databases (Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ACS Publications, Wiley Online Library) until December, 2021.
Results and conclusion: A total of 63 hepatoprotective iridoids were found, including aucubin, catalpol and picroliv, a mixture of two iridoids. They are the target of a high number of studies, which revealed their protective action against different hepatotoxic agents and detailed action mechanisms.
Keywords: Antioxidants; anti-inflammatory; hepatotoxicity; iridoids; mechanisms; oxidative stress.
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