Publications

Stress-mediated hepatotoxicity-liver injury driven or amplified by oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation-represents a convergent pathway for a broad range of chemical, biological and metabolic insults. Contributors include xenobiotics (drugs, environmental toxins), ischemiareperfusion, viral infections, metabolic overload (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease), and lifestyle factors. The pathophysiology is characterized by redox imbalance, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) formation, unfolded protein responses, impaired bioenergetics, and activation of innate immune signaling culminating in hepatocellular death (apoptosis, necrosis, necroptosis) and fibrogenic remodeling. Phytomedicines plant-derived extracts and purified phytochemicals offer multiple, often pleiotropic mechanisms for hepatoprotection: direct antioxidant activity, induction of endogenous cytoprotective pathways (Nrf2/ARE), attenuation of ER stress, preservation of mitochondrial function, anti-inflammatory effects (NF-κB, inflammasome modulation), and inhibition of profibrogenic signaling. This review synthesizes mechanistic insights from preclinical models and the highest-quality clinical evidence to date, highlights leading phytochemical candidates (e.g., silymarin, curcumin, resveratrol, berberine, green tea catechins, quercetin, glycyrrhizin), discusses formulation and safety challenges, and proposes a research agenda to translate phytomedicines into evidence-based hepatoprotective interventions. We argue that, with standardized extracts, rigorous pharmacokinetic characterization and integrated safety monitoring, phytomedicines can complement conventional strategies to prevent or mitigate stress-mediated liver injury across clinical settings.