Effect of the combination of Silybrum marianum and Lycopodium clavatum on some biological markers for monitoring chronic hepatitis B virus patients

Abstract

Viral hepatitis B is a disease for which no curative treatment is available to date. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of Silybrum marianum and Lycopodium clavatum preparations on the biological parameters of viral hepatitis B follow-up.
 Material and methods: This was a longitudinal study of a period of 5 months. The study population consisted of consenting chronic hepatitis B patients. A questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information and medical history of the patients. One Step Rapid Test HBV-2210305 and Biolabo kits were used to test for serological parameters and transaminases. The viral load was determined using the real-time PCR technique. The decoctions were made from the leaves and rhizomes of Sylibum marianum associated with the floral juice of Lycopodium clavatum. The evaluation of the effect of the decoction was done by comparing the values of parameters between the beginning and after 3 months of treatments.
 Results: Seven out of nine patients were chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus in active phase. After 90 days of treatment, we noted the persistence of AgHbs in all patients but a disappearance of AgHbe in 75% of patients. Mean transaminase activity and viral load decreased significantly after treatment (P=0.045).
 Conclusion: The preparation of a decoction of Silybrum marianum and Lycopodium clavatum leads to normalization of Alanine Amino transferase activities (AAT), loss of HBe antigen and decrease of viral load after three months of treatment.
 Keywords: Chronic hepatitis B, Silybrum marianum, Lycopodium clavatum, decoctions, transaminase activity and viral load.