Changes in Liver Biochemical Parameters Following the Combined Use of Three Medicinal Plants in a Patient with Hepatitis C: A Case Report

Ebadollahi-Natanzi, Alireza; Arab-Rahmatipour, Gholamreza

doi:10.22038/apjmt.2026.97214.1566

Changes in Liver Biochemical Parameters Following the Combined Use of Three Medicinal Plants in a Patient with Hepatitis C: A Case Report

Document Type : Case Report

Authors

Alireza Ebadollahi-Natanzi ¹

Gholamreza Arab-Rahmatipour ²

¹ Department of Medicinal Plants, Imam Khomeini Higher Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

² Department of Biochemistry, Farabi Hospital Laboratory, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran India

10.22038/apjmt.2026.97214.1566

Abstract

Introduction: liver diseases and its incidence in the whole world rendering the use of alternative medicine to be used for treatment protocols. This study evaluates the protective effect of a combination of three medicinal plants namely Silybum marianum (SM), Cichorium intybus (CI) and Ziziphus vulgaris (ZV) on a patient with hepatitis C whom his liver injury index enzymes has been increased.
Case report: Patient was a 46-year-old man who affected by hepatitis C like symptoms and with mounted levels of liver injury index enzymes. Medicinal plants – based treatment was used on the combination of treatment of CI extract SM pulverized seeds and ZV fruit.
Discussion: The results showed that the combination of CI, SM and ZV could significantly reduce the elevated levels of serum enzymes of AST, ALT and ALP in the patient, so that his levels were reached up to 43.0±3.00; 44.0±2.64 and 215.7±6.43 U/L, respectively. Furthermore, the total amounts of flavonoids and phenols received by the patient were 422.57 and 332.10 mg/day, respectively, and may have played a key role in this regard. The bioactive components in the extracts of these three plants can play a protective role in eliminating oxidative stress and cellular damage through vital mechanisms.
Conclusion: Based on this study, it is concluded that the combination of CI, SM, and ZV can have protective effects through strengthening antioxidant defense systems; it will overcome inflammations caused by oxidative stress resulting from HCV, followed by normalizing liver enzymes in this patient using these plants.

Keywords

Hepatitis C

Liver Diseases

Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury

Medicinal plants

Combined Modality Therapy

Subjects

Medical Toxicology

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