Artichoke Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus Against Liver Infection

By Kyle J. Norton

Scientists may have found a natural remedy for the treatment of hepatitis C infection with no side effects, according to studies.

Hepatitis C infection is an inflammatory liver disease associated with viral hepatitis C. The viral infection has affected over a million Americans today according to the statistic.

Epidemiological studies suggested that persistent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major risk for the development of HCC, the fifth most common cancer, and the third most common cause for cancer death in the world.

Contaminated blood and fluids are the most common causes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Hepatitis C induces liver cancer through many stages including 

* The incubation period which lasts about 45 days after exposing to the virus.

* Acute hepatitis, the short-term illness may last about 6 months. Most people can get rid of the virus in this stage, particularly to those with the strong immune system.

* Chronic hepatitis C if you can not get rid of the virus in the acute stage, the immune system will adapt to the new change, leading to chronic liver inflammation by the hep C virus.

* Cirrhosis, the liver scar, normally is formed due to the progression of the inflammation. Cirrhosis can be developed over a period of 20 years, after initial exposure to the virus.

* Liver cancer, the death of liver cells due to overexpression of liver scars.

Dr. Gremion C, the lead scientist in the attempt to explain the risk hepatitis C and immune system, said, "While a persistent infection is generally associated with a weak CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response during the acute phase, there is no good explanation as to why this response is strong enough in 20% of acutely infected people such that they spontaneously resolve the infection".

The results strongly suggested that if you have a strong immune system, your risk of hepatitis C infection can be resolved naturally.

Artichoke is a perennial thistle of Cynara cardunculus species of the Cynara genus, belonging to the family Carduoideae native to Southern Europe around the Mediterranean.

The herbal plant has been used in traditional medicine as a liver protective and detoxified agent, and to treat digestive disorders, abdominal pain gas and bloating, etc.

Researchers on finding a natural ingredient for the treatment of hepatitis C which presently affects millions of people globally examined the traditional use of Egyptian artichoke (WEA) for the treatment of HCV-infection and complications.

Injection of water extract of a WEA plant decreased the HCV viral load below the detection level in 12 out of 15 patients. In other words, artichoke exerted strong anti-HCV infection, depending on the state of the severity of the disease.

Furthermore, the water extract normalized the levels of enzymes associated with liver function and damage. 

Moreover, The total WEA extract at IC50 ∼ 20 μg ml(-1), inhibited abnormal expression of genes in patients with hepatitis C infection, involving in drug metabolism and synthesis of cholesterol, steroids, and other lipids (CYP2B6 (OH-BUP)) and the formation and breakdown (metabolism) of various molecules and chemicals within cells (CYP2C19 (5-OH-OME)).

WEA was found to be more effective in inhibiting hepatitis C infection compared to the Hepar SL Forte(®) due to the presence of sesquiterpenes versus the abundance of phenolic compounds of the Hepar SL Forte(®).

In chemicals analysis, grosheimol and cynaropicrin, isolated from the WEA showed the most inhibitory effect against HCV with half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50s) in the low micromolar range.

Both tested compounds inhibited HCV entry into target cells in both cell-free infections and cell-cell transmission.

Both compounds belong to the group of sesquiterpene lactones which are found in the WEA but not in the Hepar SL Forte(®).

The results clearly supported the use of WEA in traditional use for the treatment of liver viral infection and complications.

Taken altogether, herbal Artichoke may be considered a functional remedy for the prevention and treatment of HCV infection, pending to the confirmation of larger sample size and multicenter human study.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) The wild Egyptian artichoke as a promising functional food for the treatment of hepatitis C virus as revealed via UPLC-MS and clinical trials by Elsebai MF1, Abass K2, Hakkola J3, Atawia AR4, Farag MA. (PubMed)
(2) Pan-genotypic Hepatitis C Virus Inhibition by Natural Products Derived from the Wild Egyptian Artichoke by Elsebai MF1, Koutsoudakis G2, Saludes V2, Pérez-Vilaró G2, Turpeinen A3, Mattila S3, Pirttilä AM4, Fontaine-Vive F5, Mehiri M5, Meyerhans A6, Diez. (PubMed)
(3) Hepatitis C virus and the immune system: a concise review by Gremion C1, Cerny A. (PubMed)