Phyllanthus
(Phyllanthus niruri, Phyllanthus urinaria, Phyllanthus amarus)
Plant Part UsedWhole plant (excluding root)
Phyllantus Amarus .*Constituents:Lignans such as:
Phyllanthin and hypophyllantin;Flavonoids;AlkonoidsLeaves of Phyllanthus are an important remedy ain south of India for jaundice. Phyllanthus amarus, a world-renowned botanical, aids the liver -
Ayurvedic Medicine
Question: What herb has been used in Ayurvedic Medicine for over 2,000 years, is called Bahupatra in Sanskrit, used to be called Phyllanthus niruri in India, and grows widely in Central and Southern India?
Answer: Phyllanthus amarus, a small tropical shrub with big benefits for liver health, and more.
This plant has been highly valued in a number of countries "for its curative properties; in India the plant is often used by traditional medical practitioners for a variety of ailments, including asthma, bronchial infection" and diseases of -- and injury to -- the liver (as mentioned above), researchers L. Yeap Foo and Herbert Wong tell us in their 1992 article which appeared in the English journal, Phytochemistry [31 (2): 711-713].
According to an interesting passage from Dr. K.M. Nadkarni's Indian Materia Medica (1954), this botanical has been used for a wide array of indications:
The plant is considered [...] diuretic, astringent and cooling. A decoction of the plant is administered in jaundice [see below] [...] Whole plant is employed in some [...] genitourinary infections, [the] young tender shoots are [used in] chronic dysentery [and the] juice of the stem [is] mixed with oil in ophthalmia [eye treatments].
Used in China, the Philippines, Cuba, Nigeria, Guam, East and West Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America, this liver-protectant/detoxifier has been used, in recent years, most successfully in such conditions as jaundice and hepatitis B.
What's in it?
Studies have already shown that the plant contains alkaloids, lignans, flavonoids [see Editor's Desk, p. 8, this issue], fatty acids, and vitamin C, just to name a few.
A brief overview on the importance of the liver
In Ayurvedic tradition, the psychosomatic view of the human being sees the body organs and systems as a unit, and the digestive tract and functions as being of highest importance to health.The liver has a whole battery of functions, including: the formation and excretion of bile, which is necessary for digestion; keeping certain nutrients and fuel ready for the body to use, such as carbohydrates and lipids; manufacturing plasma proteins; activating specific vitamins; activating and deactivating body hormones; and detoxifying drug, chemical, and biological poisons, or toxins, that invade our body every day along with air, water, and food.
The beneficial specifics of Phyllanthus amarus on hepatitis B infections
The powdered leaves of this perennial herb were first used in clinical studies which looked at its usefulness in helping patients suffering from chronic liver damage due to extended hepatitis B virus infection.The hepatitis B infection leads to the inability of the immune system to get rid of the virus from liver cells. Infection with the hepatitis B virus is verified by detecting levels of certain viral components in the blood. In this carrier state, a patient is continuously harboring and carrying the virus.
Following earlier studies showing beneficial effects in relation to supplementation with extracts of this plant and hepatitis B by S.P. Thyagarajan (Indian Journal of Medical Research 76:174, 1982) and P.S. Venkateswaran (Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. 84:274, 1987), in 1990, S. Jayaram, and colleagues from the University of Madras, studied chronic carriers of HBV hepatitis. After 28 volunteers received Phyllanthus amarus in 250-mg doses for one to three months, 54.5 percent experienced loss of the carrier status.
In 1988, at Madras' Hospital for Children and the Government General Hospital, S.P. Thyagarajan, and colleagues, once again reported their results in treating carriers of hepatitis B with an extract of Phyllanthus amarus. For a one-month period, the treated patients were given 200 mg of the extract in capsule form, three times a day. Fifteen to 20 days following the end of treatment, 59 percent of the hepatitis B carriers (22 of 37) lost their carrier status, which essentially meant that they no longer carried the disease. Only one out of 23 (4 percent) dummy-pill "treated" control patients irregularly lost their carrier status.
Thyagarajan and Jayaram joined forces once again, in 1990, in a study which examined patients with acute viral hepatitis B. In this study, patients with acute viral hepatitis were given Phyllanthus amarus (250 mg, three times a day) for 30 days. The rate of "cure," or elimination of the virus, was 40 percent for those patients who received supplementation with this power botanical.
How does it do what it does?
One possibility is that Phyllanthus amarus may block the spread (proliferation) of the virus by directly blocking, or preventing, replication of the virus' genetic material.
Blood-pressure regulation
Hajime Ueno, and colleagues, at Japan's Medical and Pharmaceutical University, discussed Phyllanthus amarus (called niruri in their paper) and blood pressure control in a 1988 article which appeared in the Journal of Natural Products.
These researchers, who were working as part of collaborative study between the Japan International Agency and the Republic of Paraguay, found that a component in the botanical held back, or was inhibitory against, the action of angiotensis-converting enzymes (ACEs), which, by definition, implicates the shrub as an important role-player in blood-pressure regulation, as well.
Phyllanthus has a long tradition of use in the Hindu Ayurvedic system of medicine and it has long been used as a medicinal agent in cultures around the world. It is usually found in central and southern India, where it can grow from one to two feet in height and have blooms with many yellow flowers. Phyllanthus can also be found in many other countries including the Philippines, Cuba, Nigeria and Guam.
Traditionally, phyllanthus has been used to treat jaundice, gonorrhea, frequent menstruation, dysentery and diabetes. It has also been used topically as a treatment for skin ulcers, sores, swelling, and itchiness. Modern research with phyllanthus focuses on its potential for fighting viruses, specifically the hepatitis B virus. Presented at the 3rd International Congress on Phytomedicine in Munich, a laboratory study reported that phyllanthus seems to have the ability to inhibit two of the pro-inflammatory enzymes (COX-2 and iNOS), making it potentially useful in the fight against inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
One important note: There is another species of phyllanthus, Phyllanthus emblica, that is also commonly used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine and should not be confused with the varieties we’re discussing here.
Current research has focused on phyllanthus’ potential for the treatment of hepatitis B. Indeed, studies suggest that it may suppress the growth and replication of the virus .It is important to note that scientists believe that two particular varieties of phyllanthus, Phyllanthus niruri and Phyllanthus urinaria, may be more effective in the treatment of hepatitis B than Phyllanthus amarus. What’s more, while phyllanthus may help decrease the amount of hepatitis B virus found in the blood stream, it has not been reported to remove all of the virus and should not be considered a cure. Medical assistance should always be sought in hepatitis infections. In addition to helping the body fight hepatitis B, phyllanthus may also support the overall health of the liver. Other studies have looked at the potential use of phyllanthus in protecting against liver injuries, as well as cancerous tumors of the liver.
Finally, some research suggests that phyllanthus may help fight the malaria parasite.
Dosage Range Most Common Dosage Standardization
200mg, 2-4 times a day.
200mg, 3 times a day.
The most current available medical and scientific literature indicates that this dietary supplement should be standardized to 3% bitter principles.
*Standardization represents the complete body of information and controls that serve to enhance the batch to batch consistency of a botanical product, including but not limited to the presence of a marker compound at a defined level or within a defined range.
Be sure to tell your pharmacist, doctor, or other health care providers about any dietary supplements you are taking. There may be a potential for interactions or side effects.
General
This dietary supplement is considered safe when used in accordance with proper dosing guidelines.(9)
Allergy
Some individuals experience an allergic reaction when taking this dietary supplement. Call your doctor or seek medical attention if you have fast or irregular breathing, skin rash, hives or itching.
Side Effects
Side effects are possible with any dietary supplement. Discontinue the use of this dietary supplement if any side effects occurs.
Pregnancy/Breast-Feeding
To date, the medical literature has not reported any adverse effects related to fetal development during pregnancy or to infants who are breast-fed. Yet little is known about the use of this dietary supplement while pregnant or breast-feeding. Therefore, it is recommended that you inform your healthcare practitioner of any dietary supplements you are using while pregnant or breast-feeding.
Age Limitations
To date, the medical literature has not reported any adverse effects specifically related to the use of this dietary supplement in children. Since young children may have undiagnosed allergies or medical conditions, this dietary supplement should not be used in children under 10 years of age unless recommended by a physician.
Antiviral Effects and Phyllanthus Amarus
The leaves of the Phyllanthus contain Lignans are used in India for the treatment of jaundice. As well as hepatoprotective effects phyllanthus inhibits endogenous DNA polymerase of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and binds to the surface antigen of hepatitis B in vitro. The hepatitis B required DNA polymerase for its replication and the action of phyllanthus in inhibiting this enzyme appears to be quite specific to HBV –like viruses.
What Is the Scientific Evidence for Phyllanthus?
Despite numerous test tube and animal studies showing efficacy against the hepatitis B virus, P. amarus has generally not done well in human trials.
Only one study clearly found benefits, and it was seriously flawed. In this 30-day double blind placebo controlled trial of 60 people with chronic hepatitis B, treatment with phyllanthus (200 mg 3 times daily) dramatically increased the odds of full recovery. In the treated group, almost 60% were hepatitis B–negative at follow-up, as compared to only 4% in the placebo group.
However, the high drop-out rate in the placebo group significantly reduces the reliability of the results. Furthermore, multiple follow-up studies attempting to reproduce these findings have not found any benefits
Another double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 57 people with acute hepatitis B to see whether treatment with P. amarus (300 mg 3 times daily for 1 week) could improve speed of recovery. The results showed no benefit. However, because acute hepatitis B usually lasts a month or more, the duration of treatment in this study was oddly short.
One highly preliminary study suggested that P. urinaria, a related species, might be more effective against hepatitis than other species of phyllanthus. However, a subsequent double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to test this hypothesis failed to find benefit.
Dosage
The usual dose of P. amarus used in studies is 600 to 900 mg daily.
Safety Issues
There are no indications that P. amarus is toxic when used at recommended doses, but comprehensive safety studies have not been performed. In double-blind studies, significant side effects have not been reported. Safety in pregnant or nursing women, or individuals with severe liver or kidney disease, has not been established.
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