Hepatoprotection via saikosaponins

Hepatoprotection via saikosaponins refers to the pharmacological process where triterpene saponins from the Bupleurum genus protect liver tissue from damage (Yuan et al., 2017). These compounds, particularly Saikosaponin A and Saikosaponin D, target multiple molecular pathways to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. A key molecular target is the Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR), which Saikosaponin D modulates to suppress inflammatory gene expression (Li et al., 2015). They also inhibit the Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) signaling pathway, reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-alpha and IL-6 (Wang et al., 2018). In the context of liver fibrosis, saikosaponins downregulate the Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1)/Smad3 signaling cascade, preventing the activation of hepatic stellate cells (Fan et al., 2021). Furthermore, they enhance antioxidant defenses by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, which mitigates oxidative stress-induced hepatocyte death (Lin et al., 2016). Despite their benefits, saikosaponins exhibit a narrow therapeutic window, as high doses can paradoxically cause hepatotoxicity or hemolysis (Sun et al., 2018).

Other names

Saikosaponin-mediated hepatoprotectionChaihu-mediated liver protectionSaikosaponin-induced liver protection

Modulation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR), inhibition of NF-kappa B signaling, and downregulation of the TGF-beta 1/Smad pathway to reduce inflammation and fibrosis.