Nigerian Medicinal Plants for the Management of Liver Diseases: A Review

The liver, despite its crucial role in metabolism is prone to several metabolic injuries and insults manifesting as liver damage. Thus, liver diseases arise from multiple aetiologies. In Nigeria, chronic liver diseases are rampant and constitute a significant cause of morbidity. Globally, medicinal plants play crucial roles in healthcare. Several Nigerian medicinal plants are used in the management of various liver disorders. This review focuses on medicinal plants that are used in the management of liver diseases in Nigeria. The search for novel active principles from plants must be sustained due to increasing prevalence of various liver ailments, challenges associated with liver transplantation and poor healthcare funding. The identification, isolation and characterization of active compounds from Nigerian medicinal plants could lead to the potential development of affordable and effective drugs for the management of liver diseases.