title: Essential phospholipids in fatty liver: a scientific update.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although essential phospholipids (EPL) from soybean are often used in membrane-associated disorders and diseases, their high quality of purification and effects on prevalent liver diseases, especially on fatty liver diseases (FLDs) of different origin, are still widely unknown and a matter of continuous active research. The aim of this article is to review, discuss, and summarize the available results of EPL in the treatment of FLD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Database research was carried out on Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, country-specific journals, and follow-up literature citations for relevant hepatogastroenterological articles published between 1988 and 2014. We searched for and reviewed only those papers that indicated minimum extraction amount of 72% (3-sn-phosphatidyl)choline from soybean as being necessary to treat patients with a considerable amount of 1,2-dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine as a key component in EPL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EPL has a well-established mode of action, therapeutic effectiveness, and lack of toxicity, which ensures clinically relevant efficacy-to-safety ratio. It influences membrane- dependent cellular functions and shows anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifibrogenic, anti apoptotic, membrane-protective, and lipid-regulating effects. Due to its positive effects on membrane composition and functions, it accelerates the improvement or normalization of subjective symptoms; pathological, clinical, and biochemical findings; hepatic imaging; and liver histology. It is justified to administer EPL together with other therapeutic measurements in the liver.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacological and clinical results confirm the efficacy of EPL in the treatment of FLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Karl-Josef
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Gundermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital Hohenlind, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gundermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drozdzik
authors.affiliation: VGM Hospital Institute of Gastroenterology, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Mohan Prasad
keywords: dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine; essential phospholipids; fatty liver disease; membrane