4. Discussion and conclusionThese indian trials paint a picture of a positive herbal product. But this is not the whole truth,because Medline presents serveral papers in russian language, who tells us a story beingcompletely different.Mirov and Iunusova (1982) published case reports in russian language nearly 18 years ago outof the hospital of Penschikenta (in former USSR).
It shows two case reports out of 7 patients(three patients with chronic hepatitis, four patients with acute hepatitis) who developed amassive Lyrell's syndrome (epidermiolysis acuta toxica or necrolysis epidermica orstaphylococcal scalded skin syndrome) within 9 to 11 hours after beginning of Liv.52 treatmentin regular doses. A second russian paper (Simochkina et al. 1989) shows also a case of Lyell'ssyndrome after Liv.52-treatment.A really shocking result was publicated by Fleig et al. (1997) and cited by Schuppan et al.(1999). Fleig et al. (1997) organised a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial at theuniversities of Halle-Wittenberg, Erlangen-Nürnberg and the Royal Free Hospital in London.The team enrolled 188 patients with alcohol-induced, histologically proven liver cirrhosis andgave them 4 tabletts of Liv.52 (300 mg each) a day.
At the follow-up 2 years later the all oversurvival rate was just 74,4% in Liv.52-treated patients but 86% in placebo-group and this resultwas nearly significant (p = 0,06)! Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a link betweenpatients compliance to Liv.52-therapy and mortality rate. The higher compliance (> 75%) was,the lower survival rate was!In my eyes, LIV.52 is a potentially harmful drug.
It is not only hepatotoxic but a possible cancercausing remedy. Liv.52 contains Solanum nigrum (black night-shade). That plant is used in folkmedicine in Transkei (South Africa) as "Umsobo". Sammon (1992 and 1998) was able to showin two case-controlled trials, that consumption of that plant leads to an increased risk ofesophageal carcinoma. 20% of men older than 70 years die in Transkei because of esophagealof cancer. The elevation of the relative risk for developing esophageal cancer is 2,55 (Sammon1998) or 2,86 (Sammon 1992) in comparison to non-Umsobo-users. That risk is as high as therisk produced by tabacco smoking (2,69) like Sammon (1998) pointed out!As a non-physician my opinion is that LIV.52 is a health risk for people. It's side-effects aresubstantially underreported. Distributors of that cheap pill do not report any side-effect-investigations at all.
Every physician dealing with patients should think of LIV.52-consumptionif he's confronted with Lyell's syndrome/Nicolau syndrome, hepatic problems of unknown originor even esophageal carcinoma.This year I`ll publish a german book dealing with all aspects of LIV.52 and other remedies. Itwill be published electronically also to give informations about that scene to the germanaudience in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.© Roland Ziegler, 2000
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- 8 -5. Literature cited:Chauhan, B. L., Kulkarni, R. D.: Effect of Liv.52, a herbal preparation, on absorption andmetabolism of ethanol in humans. Eur J Clin Pharmacol, 40, 189-191, 1991Fleig, W. E., Morgan, M. Y., Hoelzer, M. A.:The ayurvedic drug liv.52 in patients withalcoholic cirrhosis. Results of a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlledclinical trial. J Hepatol 26, Suppl., 1, 127, 1997Galitskii, L. A., Barnaulov, O. D., Zaretskii, B. V., Malkov, M. I., Konenkov, S.I., Gol`m,N. P., Tomakov, V. S., Ogarkov, P. I., Batskov, S. S.: Effect of phytotherapy on theprevention and elimination of hepatotoxic responses in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis,carriers of hepatitis B virus markers. Probl Tuberk, 4, 35-38, 1997Geller, L. I., Gladkikh, L. N., Griaznova, M. V.:Treatment of fatty hepatosis in diabetics.Probl Endokrinol (Mosk), 39, 20-22, 1993Jagetia, G. C., Ganapathi, N. G.:Treatment of mice with a herbal preparation (Liv.52) reducesthe frequency of radiation-induced chromosome damage in bone marrow. Mutat Res, 253, 123-126, 1991Kalab, M., Krechler, T.:The effect of the hepatoprotective agent LIV.52 on liver damage. CasLek Cesk, 136, 758-760, 1997Katari, M., Singh, L. N.:Hepatoprotective effect of Liv.52 and kumaryasava on carbontetrachloride induced hepatic damage in rats. Indian J Exp Biol, 35, 655-657, 1997Mirov, P. M., Iunusova, M. A.:Toxic epidermal necrolysis (Lyell`s syndrome) afteradministration of Liv. 52. Klin Med (Mosk), 60, 97-98, 1982O`Hara, P. J., Pierce, K. R.:A toxic cardiomyopathy caused by cassia occidentalis. I.Morphologic studies in poisoned rabbits. Vet Pathol, 11, 97-109, 1974aO`Hara, P. J., Pierce, K. R.: A toxic cardiomyopathy caused by cassia occidentalis. II.Biochemical studies in poisoned rabbits. Vet Pathol, 11, 110-124, 1974bPandey, S., Gujrati, V. R., Shanker, K., Singh, N., Dhawan, K. N.:Hepato protective effectof LIV-52 against CCl4 induced lipid perixodation in liver of rats. Indian J Exp Biol, 32, 674-675, 1994Prashar, R., Kumar, A.:Chemopreventive action of Liv.52 on DMBA-inducedpapillomagenesis in skin of mice.Indian J Exp Biol, 32, 643-646, 1994
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- 9 -Roy, A., Soni, G. R., Kalhapure, R. M., Karnik, U. R., Patki, P. S.
own regulation oftumor necrosis factor activity in experimental hepatitis by a herbal formulation, Liv.52. IndianJ Exp Biol, 32, 694-697, 1994Sammon, A. M.: A case-control study of diet and social factors in cancer of the esophagus inTranskei. Cancer, 69, 860-865, 1992Sammon, A. M.
rotease inhibitor and carcinoma of the esophagus. Cancer, 83, 405-408, 1998Sandhir, R., Gill, K. D.: Hepatoprotective effects of LIV-52 on ethanol induced liver damagein rats. Indian J Exp Biol, 37, 762-766, 1999Schuppan, D., Jia, J.-D., Brinkhaus, B., Hahn, E. G.:Herbal products of liver disease: athera-peutic challange for the new millenium. Hepatology, 30, 1099-1104, 1999Simochkina, Z. A., Velikaia, L. A., Mikhailova, V. A.:A case of Lyrell`s syndrome. VrachDelo, 10, 91-92, 1989
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