Volume 18, Issue 10, 15 July 2011, Pages 807–810
Short communication
Birch bark extract as therapy for chronic hepatitis C – A pilot study
Abstract
The
hepatoprotective effect of birch bark extract (BBE) in patients with
chronic hepatitis C (CHC) was studied. Forty-two patients with
serologically confirmed chronic hepatitis C were treated for 12 weeks
with 160 mg standardized BBE per day. The primary outcome parameter
measured was the rate of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization
after 12 weeks. Secondary parameters included the course of ALT,
aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, quantitative HCV RNA levels,
subjective symptoms associated with CHC (fatigue, abdominal discomfort,
depression, and dyspepsia), safety and compliance. The
qualitative–quantitative analysis of BBE was made using high performance
liquid chromatography to confirm the presence of 75% betulin and 3.5%
betulinic acid. Significant differences in the mean ALT and HCV RNA
levels were observed after 12 weeks of treatment. The level of ALT was
decreased in 54.0% and normalized (p = 0.046). HCV RNA was reduced in 43.2% (p = 0.016). After 12 weeks of treatment, reports of fatigue and abdominal discomfort were reduced by 6-fold (p = 0.028) and 3-fold (p = 0.05), respectively. Dyspepsia was no longer reported (p = 0.042)
and the effect was significantly different from baseline. Because this
study lacks a control group clinical relevance of the data can only be
estimated in future by following controlled clinical trials.
Keywords
- Aminotransferase levels;
- Betulin;
- Betula alba;
- HCV RNA;
- Hepatitis
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