• Helps to increase the liver function in people suffering from viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cirrhosis
• Helps to treat chronic hepatitis B infection
• Enhances secretion of antioxidant enzymes and protects the liver from free radicals and toxins.
• Helps to reduce fat accumulation in the liver

Jaundice, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain are the classic symptoms of liver diseases. Excess alcohol consumption, viral infections or obesity increases the risk of liver disorders. Alcohol abuse leads to accumulation of triglycerides and fats in the liver. The condition, known as steatosis, adversely affects the liver function. If left untreated, chronic alcohol abuse might cause cirrhosis and permanent loss of liver function. Obesity and prolonged consumption of fat rich diet increases the risk of developing fatty liver disease even in non-alcoholics. The liver disorder known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis gradually reduces the liver function.

Viral infections lead to inflammation of the liver tissues, leading to hepatitis. Acute hepatitis develops from hepatitis A infection. It occurs by consuming food or water contaminated with infected fecal matter. Chronic hepatitis develops by contracting hepatitis B or C infections. This liver disorder occurs through exposure to body fluids infected with the hepatitis virus during sexual intercourse, contaminated needles or transfusion of infected blood.

Phyllanthus niruri is known by the name stonebreaker or seed under leaf in English. It grows in the tropical and subtropical regions. In India, Phyllanthus niruri is being used for several centuries for healing liver disorders. Here the common name of this hepatoprotective herb is bhoomi amalaki or bhui amla, which means “amalaki of the earth”. The plant can grow up to a height of 60cm. It is cultivated in the central and southern India. It is also found in the rain forests of Amazon, China and the Bahamas. Phyllanthus niruri shrubs are characterized by small, closely arranged green leaves, smooth light green stems, yellow-green colored flowers and tiny fruits.

According to the Ayurveda system of medicine, Phyllanthus niruri treats diseases by balancing the kapha and pitta components in the body. The therapeutic functions are present throughout the plant. The bitter compounds in the herb are believed to trigger bile secretion.

Phyllanthus has been used in Ayurvedic medicine system for over 2,000 years and it carries a wide number of traditional uses that includes internal use for jaundice, gonorrhea, frequent menstruation, and diabetes and external/topical use as a poultice for skin ulcers, sores, swelling, and itchiness. The young shoots of the plant are administered in the form of an infusion for the treatment of chronic dysentery (Nadkarmi KM. India Materia Medica, vol 1. Bombay: Popular Prakashan Private Ltd., 1993, 947–8).

During the last decade, Bhumyamlaki has drawn the attention of scientists all across the world, because of its powerful hepato-protective activity. All forms of viral hepatitis have a common occurrence and feature of an acute inflammation of the liver. The liver cells get damaged and then liver stops functioning totally or partially. Unfortunately, there is no treatment available once the disease strikes the person. Phyllanthus, with its plenty of researches supports its efficacy in aiding various hepatic diseases such as jaundice, hepatitis and cirrhosis of liver. It also plays important role in fatty liver and liver damage due to any reason. It helps to rejuvenates the liver cells and promotes the liver action.

Isolation of phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin from leaves has been derived and they are very helpful in fighting various diseases. Three new lignansniranthin, nirtetralin and phyltetralin – isolated from leaves. The seed oil contained ricinoleic acid (1.2%), linoleic (21.0%) and linolenic (51.4%) acids. A new flavone glycoside isolated and characterized as fisetin – 4-O- glucoside; rutin, quercetin, quercetrin and astralgin also isolated a new lignan – nirphyllin and a new neolignan – phyllnirurin – from aerial parts.

The effect of Bhumyamlaki on chronic carriers of Hepatitis B virus was studied clinically, in a preliminary study; carriers of Hepatitis B virus were treated with the preparation of the plant Phyllanthus for one month. 22 out of 37 (59%) treated patients has lost Hepatitis B surface antigen when tested 15-20 days after the end of the treatment compared with only 1 of 23 (4%) placebo treated controls. Some subjects have been followed up for up to 36 weeks. In no case has the surface antigen returned. Clinical observation reveals few or no toxic effects. The encouraging results of this preliminary study recommend continued evaluation of the plant and the active principles isolated from it (The Lancet, Oct 1, 1988, PP 764-766).

Objectives/Goals

Hepatitis B is one of the major diseases inflicting the human population. Conventional treatment with interferon-alpha is very expensive and has many serious side effects. Alternative herbal medicine using extracts of Phyllanthus niruri (amarus) and Phyllanthus urinaria has been seen to be helpful against hepatitis B and other viral infections. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively determine the antiviral effect of these herbs in a well defined in vitro system.

Methods/Materials

Antiviral activity induced by the herbal extract was measured as an inhibition of the cytopathic effect (CPE) which normally results from infection of untreated MDBK cells with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Aqueous extract of P. urinaria (prepared from dried herbs) and P. niruri were serially titrated and their activities were compared to a positive control, interferon-alpha2b.

Results

Pretreatment of MDBK cells with interferon-alpha2b, as expected, inhibited the CPE from VSV infection dose-dependently. The extract of Phyllanthus produced a concentration-dependent antiviral activity at dilutions 1:2560 to 1:160. Maximal activity (70% inhibition of CPE) was found at 1:160 dilutions.

Conclusions/Discussion

A cell-based assay has been developed to examine the antiviral effects of herbal extracts from the genus Phyllanthus. Aqueous extracts of P. niruri and P. urinaria protect MDBK cells from viral infection. In addition, they do not display cytotoxicity in uninfected normal cells. These findings support clinical studies by others that regular intake of these herbal supplements may be beneficial for chronic hepatitis B patients. (Project Summary - Antiviral Activities of Phyllanthus niruri and Phyllanthus urinaria: Treating Hepatitis B with Herbal Medicine by Erik W. Toh at California State Science Fair 2003, Project Number - S1426)

The plant of Phyllanthus

Phyllanthus is glabrous erect herb, often reddish, to 30 cm high, few-branched; leaves borne on slightly flattened branchlets, these about 10 cm in length. Its leaves are oblong or oblong-obovate, 7-18 mm in length, 3-7 mm in width, rounded mucronate, obliquely rounded at base, subsessile, margins minutely scabrous, pale beneath.

Phyllanthus’ flowers are subsessile, about 4 mm in width, sepals 6, oblong, stamens 3, anthers transversely opening, filaments connate and its capsules are depressed-globose, about 2.5 mm in width, pendulous, transversely rugose-echinate with styles free, minute, bifid. The seeds of Phyllanthus are transversely rugulose, 2.5 mm broad (Stone, 1970; p. 388).

In particular, Bhumyamalaki grows throughout India, but more commonly in central and southern regions. It is an annual herb. The flowers are yellowish, axillary and numerous. The male flowers are 1-3 in numbers, whereas female flowers are solitary. There are 3-4 different varieties of phyllanthus.