title: Protective mechanisms of medicinal plants targeting hepatic stellate cell activation and extracellular matrix deposition in liver fibrosis.
abstract: During chronic liver injury, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are activated and proliferate, which causes excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, leading to scar formation and fibrosis. Medicinal plants are gaining popularity as antifibrotic agents, and are often safe, cost-effective, and versatile. This review aims to describe the protective role and mechanisms of medicinal plants in the inhibition of HSC activation and ECM deposition during the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. A systematic literature review on the anti-fibrotic mechanisms of hepatoprotective plants was performed in PubMed, which yielded articles about twelve relevant plants. Many of these plants act via disruption of the transforming growth factor beta 1 signaling pathway, possibly through reduction in oxidative stress. This reduction could explain the inhibition of HSC activation and reduction in ECM deposition. Medicinal plants could be a source of anti-liver fibrosis compounds.
authors.affiliation: Cell Therapy Department, School of Medicine, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, NL CP 63710 Mexico.
authors.forename: Florent
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.affiliation: Cell Therapy Department, School of Medicine, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, NL CP 63710 Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moreno-Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Cell Therapy Department, School of Medicine, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, NL CP 63710 Mexico.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: González-Garza
authors.affiliation: Centro de Enfermedades Hepáticas-Digestivas y Nutrición, HSJ, Monterrey, NL Mexico.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Montalvo
authors.affiliation: Cell Therapy Department, School of Medicine, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, NL CP 63710 Mexico.
authors.forename: Delia Elva
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Cruz-Vega