Tea (Camellia sinensis L. Kuntze) as Hepatoprotective Agent: A Revisit

Camellia sinensis (L) Kuntze, a plant native to China and Southeast Asia is globally a very important plant for humans. The black tea and green tea made from the leaves have been consumed by humans for thousands of years as a stimulant and is today the second most widely consumed beverage after water. Additionally, its habitual consumption has long been associated with health benefits against a wide array of diseases that include diabetes, inflammation, clastogenesis, vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac ailments, and several types of cancer. More recently, a large number of scientific studies with experimental animals have shown tea to reduce liver injury caused by alcohol, carbon tetrachloride, ischemic reperfusion, lead, viral hepatitis, phenobarbitol, microcystin, azathioprine, galactosamine, lipopolysaccharide, and cypermethrin. Additionally, studies have also shown that tea prevents chemical-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. This review summarizes the results related to the hepatoprotective properties of tea.