The savior of binge drinkers: Another liver tonic from a common vegetable?

The liver is the organ that metabolizes nutrients and xenobiotics, and it is susceptible to injury by various toxins and metabolites. Alcohol liver disease (ALD) is one of the most common liver diseases around the globe. Although numerous efforts have been undertaken to combat this global health burden, there is no therapeutic modality to date for patients with ALD. In this issue of JCMA, Liu et al show that aqueous extracts from Solanum nigrum have hepatoprotective effects against ethanol-induced liver injury based on in vitro and in vivo animal models. The study was well-conducted and produced solid results and is the first study about S. nigrum focusing on the prevention of alcohol-related liver damage. Since S. nigrum is a common vegetable consumed worldwide, we are intrigued as to whether S. nigrum can be efficacious as a liver tonic to combat ALD.