Liver extract

Liver extract is a complex biological preparation derived from animal livers, typically bovine or porcine. Historically, it served as the cornerstone of treatment for pernicious anemia following the discovery by Minot and Murphy in 1926 that consuming large quantities of liver could reverse the disease. The extract contains a concentrated mixture of essential nutrients, most notably Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), folic acid, and heme iron, which are vital for erythropoiesis and DNA synthesis. In modern clinical practice, liver extract has been largely superseded by purified vitamin and mineral supplements, though it remains available as a nutritional supplement and is used in experimental research to study hepatocyte growth and metabolism. Because it is a crude mixture of multiple biological factors rather than a single molecule, it is not classified as a specific therapeutic target but rather as a source of bioactive components.

Other names

Bovine liver extractHepatic extractLiver fractionLiver hydrolysateLiver concentrateLiver substanceRipasonSolcohepsyl

Liver extract provides essential hematopoietic factors, primarily Vitamin B12, folic acid, and iron, which are required for the maturation of erythrocytes and DNA synthesis. It may also contain growth factors that support liver cell regeneration.