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Used in the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis and alcohol detoxification. Protects liver cells and improves the efficacy of the liver.

·      Strengthens & Protects the Liver

·      Detoxification

·      Alleviates Jaundice

Livotide (Gulin Gansu) can be used for the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis, alcohol detoxification and fatty liver.  Livotide protects and improves the liver’s efficacy, reduces jaundice and lowers ALT and AST levels, amongst other functions. Livotide can be used for the long term with no known side effects.

Livotide Fast Facts

• Extracted from Herba Penthori Chinensis (also known as Penthorum chinense Pursh), an alpine herb containing the active ingredients: Quercetin⁹ & Gallic Acid⁹.

• Penthorum chinense Pursh has been used for over 2,000 years as a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for its liver protective properties, with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, the ability to treat jaundice, relieve heatiness, detoxify the body, improve blood circulation and promote diuresis^3,4.

• Made in Singapore to GMP (good manufacturing practices) standards.

• No known contraindications or side effects. Suitable for long term usage.

· Treats acute & chronic hepatitis

· Protects the liver & lowers transaminase （ALT/AST or SGPT/SGOT）levels

· Promotes gall bladder function & reduces jaundice

· Treats liver fibrosis

· For Hepatitis B carriers, it protects the liver cells & prevents liver fibrosis

· Promotes blood circulation, reduces blood stasis

· Promotes diuresis which reduces edema, regulates qi.

· Clears away heat and detoxifies

· Regulates the immune function　

· Suppresses precancerous lesions

· Gets rid of dampness

· Strengthens the spleen

· Has almost no side effects, can be used for the long term

Livotide Anti-Liver Cancer activity backed by NUS studies

Xing Ling’s best selling product Livotide now boasts three studies conducted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, confirming the presence of Quercetin and Gallic Acid in Livotide, its in-vitro cytotoxic (anti-cancer) activity against liver cancer cell line HepG2 as well as its quality consistency across different batches.

The first study is entitled “Pharmacological Study of Livotide – an Alpine Herb extract containing Quercetin and Gallic Acid” by Mr Siew Hong Xuan and Associate Professor Lee How Sung. This report determined that the molar concentration ratio of quercetin to gallic acid present in Livotide is 1: 44. It went on to test the efficacy of Livotide, quercetin and gallic acid against the proliferation of HepG2 cells (liver cancer cells). The results showed that Quercetin by itself, with concentrations as high as 100 µM could not reach 50% inhibition (IC₅₀) of HepG2 cells, while gallic acid inhibited HepG2 cells at an IC₅₀ of 28 µM. Quercetin and gallic acid combined inhibited HepG2 cells at an IC₅₀ value equivalent to 38 µM of gallic acid, while Livotide alone inhibited HepG2 cells at an IC₅₀ value equivalent to 19 µM of gallic acid (approx 0.6mg/ml of Livotide). These results showed that quercetin, gallic acid and Livotide all have an anti-proliferative effect against human liver cancer cells HepG2, with Livotide being the most efficacious based on experimental calculations.

The second study is entitled “Report on in vitro cytotoxic effects of Livotide on HepG2 cells” by Associate Professor Lee How Sung, Ms Fan Lu and Mr Siew Hong Xuan of NUS Department of Pharmacology. This study compared the cytotoxicity (denoted by IC₅₀ value which is the inhibitory concentration that will kill 50% of liver cancer cell line HepG2) of a) quercetin alone, b) gallic acid alone, c) combination of quercetin with gallic acid in the same molar proportion 1:50 as Livotide, and d) Livotide alone. The results of the second study showed that quercetin alone did not seem to be cytotoxic to HepG2 cells up to 2 µM. Gallic acid showed an IC₅₀ of 28.5 µM. When the two compounds were added together, the cytotoxic effect of gallic acid decreased, changing the IC₅₀ to 40 µM. Livotide produced the highest cytotoxicity with an IC₅₀ of 22.8 µM (all IC₅₀ are expressed as gallic acid equivalents). These results are similar to that in the first study, where the IC₅₀ of gallic acid itself, the combination compounds of quercetin with gallic acid, and Livotide were 28 µM, 38 µM and 19 µM respectively. Both studies showed that the combination of quercetin reduced the cytotoxic effects of gallic acid. Without further experiments, it would be difficult to postulate an explanation for this phenomenon. The most interesting aspect is that quercetin within the Livotide extract did not have this effect. Livotide contains many more components (not just quercetin and gallic acid), and these other components seem to be able to not only remove the quercetin opposing effect on gallic acid, but also contribute to an increase in its cytotoxic effect. 

The third study is entitled “Report on Quercetin and Gallic Acid contents in different batches of Livotide Sachets” by Associate Professor Lee How Sung, Ms Fan Lu and Mr Siew Hong Xuan. In this experiment, the amount of quercetin and gallic acid content in different sachets of different batches of Livotide were analysed. Both quercetin and gallic acid content in different sachets from the same batch were very similar, showing good quality consistency across batches. Quercetin variation between batches was 15.3% while that of gallic acid was 11.2%. It concluded that Livotide contains 0.015-0.022% of quercetin and 0.4-0.54% of gallic acid.

Livotide – 3 Key Functions

1) Strengthens & Protects the Liver

·         Reduces serum levels of ALT/AST enzymes^1,3,4. ALT/ AST normalization rates reached 76.67% and 73.08% respectively⁴, an indication of the recovery of liver cells from damage.

·         Improves liver ultrasound scan¹, by achieving a less-enlarged shape, clearer outline, more uniform solid echo, less weakened far field echo, clearer liver surface echo frequency etc. 

·         Reduces inflammation and pain in the liver area^1,3,4.

·         Assists in relieving the symptoms of fatty liver, viral & alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis and other liver problems^1,3,4,5.

2) Alleviates Jaundice

·         Reduces and normalizes bilirubin levels (TBil) in the blood serum^3,5, in cases of jaundice brought about by hepatitis and other liver disorders.

·         No rebound of jaundice symptoms even after withdrawal.

3) Detoxification of Alcoholic & Dietary Toxins

Alcohol Detoxification

·         Removies alcohol from the blood serum by inducing the liver to breakdown alcohol².

·         Delays intoxication onset² by 4 times. Livotide: 249 minutes vs Control: 62 minutes.

·          Lessens intoxication extent² by 30%.

·         Shortens intoxication timespan². Livotide: 293 minutes vs Control: 340 minutes.

Dietary Toxins Detoxification

·         Livotide strengthens, protects and detoxifies the liver, turning the tide of liver decline brought about by the inadvertent consumption of dietary toxins like pesticides, animal hormones, preservatives, natural toxins and certain prescription drugs.

Livotide’s Chemical Composition

·         Contains high concentrations of Quercetin⁹ and Gallic Acid⁹.

·         Also contains Quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside, β-sitosterol, 2, 6-dihydroxyacetophenon-4-O-β-D-glucoside and Pinocembrin-7-O-β-D-glucoside.

Mode of Action: Quercetin & The Liver

 Anti-inflammatory

Quercetin inhibits several initial inflammatory  pathways to help alleviate hepatitis (liver inflammation) and liver damage.

·         Pathway 1 - Quercetin downregulates the activity of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in human endothelial cells by inhibiting the activator protein-1 (AP-1) and JNK pathway. Am J Physiol. 1999 Sep;277(3 Pt 1):C403-11.

·         Pathway 2 - Quercetin inhibits the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, as well as Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells via modulation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) system⁷. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2006 Mar;13(3):319-28.

·         Pathway 3 - Quercetin regulates Cox-2 mRNA transcription, and inhibits processes like PGE-2 synthesis, the production of RANTES and macrophage-inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2). Life Sci. 2003 Dec 26;74(6):709-21.

Antioxidant

Quercetin guards the stability and structure of liver cells against ethanol-induced oxidative stress in mice liver, by inhibiting MDA production and enhancing the release of endogenous antioxidant enzymes CAT, SOD and GSH-R. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 26(10) 1398—1402 (2003) Vol. 26, No. 10

Anti-fibrosis

Quercetin is dose dependent in reducing serum-driven HSC-T6 cell proliferation and collagen synthesis associated with a suppression of type I procollagen mRNA level in rat hepatic stellate cells. This might have a protective role in liver fibrosis. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2001 Sep;22(9):793-6.

For rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced cirrhosis, a 3-week treatment of Quercetin improved liver histology and reduced collagen content, iNOS expression and lipid peroxidation⁶. This might have a protective role in liver fibrosis. Dig Dis Sci. 2003 Apr; 48(4): 824-9.

Anti-tumour

Quercetin is capable of inducing selective growth inhibition and apoptosis in hepatic tumour cells, but not in normal cells. It can stimulate the antioxidant defense systems including SOD, CAT, GSH, and GR in normal hepatic cell line, but reduce SOD and increase MDA content in SV40-transformed cell line (tumour cells). Eur J Pharmacol. 2004 Oct 19;502(3):195-204

Mode of Action: Gallic Acid & The Liver

Anti-inflammatory

Gallic acid inhibits mast cell-derived inflammatory allergic reactions by blocking histamine release and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, which helps in alleviating hepatitis⁸. Toxicol Sci. 2006 May;91(1):123-31.

Anti-oxidant

Gallic acid activates MGST1 (microsomal glutathione S-transferase) through oxidative modification of the enzyme. Life Sci. 2005 Nov 19;78(1):99-106.

Anti-tumour

Gallic acid inhibits the proliferation of metastatic tumour cells in the liver such as P815 murine mastocytoma, B16 murine melanoma and L5178 murine lymphoma cells. Anticancer Research 27: 3875-3880, 2001.

Directions for Use

Each 500 mg capsule contains 334 mg of Herba Penthori Chinensis extract, equivalent to 5.57 g of raw herbs.

a) Fatty Liver

Treatment Dosage:    Take 3 capsules 2 times a day for 3 months. Repeat if necessary.

Maintenance Dosage: Take 3 capsules once a day.     

b) Detoxification (Alcohol & Dietary) / Hepatitis Virus Carriers / Liver Supplement

Treatment Dosage:    Take 3 capsules once a day for 3 months. Repeat at intervals of 2 months or sooner. For alcohol detoxification, take 3 capsules half an hour before alcohol consumption.

c)  Acute and chronic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Treatment Dosage:    Take 3 capsules 3 times a day for 3 months. Repeat if necessary.

Maintenance Dosage: Take 3 capsules once a day.     

References

1.       Clinical Observations on the Treatment of Fatty Liver with the Combined Use of Gansu Granules (Livotide) & ZhiBiTuo (red yeast rice) Capsules. Chen ZJ and Yuan CY. Guangdong CongHua Chinese Medicine Hospital. Hubei Chinese Medicine Magazine, 25:3. 2003. 11-12.

2.       Effects of Herba Penthori Chinensis (Livotide) in Preventing and Delaying Alcohol Intoxication and Performing Alcohol Detoxification. Sichuan University Hua Xi School of Public Health. Report no. WJ200504005. May 2005.

3.       Treatment of Viral Hepatitis with Livotide on 386 cases  Sun QS, Ding WM, Li YF. Jiangsu Province, Huai An City, No. 4 Renmin Hospital. 355-6. Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional & Western Medicine on Liver Diseases, 6:11. 2001. 355-356.

4.       Observations on the Clinical Curative Effects of Gansu Granules (Livotide) on Chronic Hepatitis B. Chen XY, Yao H, Jiang Y, Wu SM, Zhu XF, Zhou XQ, Cai YM, Zhuo YH, Chen JJ, Wang LT. Chin J Hepatol, 12:1. Jan 2004. 50.

5.       Clinical Observations On The Use Of Gansu Granules (Livotide) In The Treatment Of Liver Disease Associated With Jaundice Hong DL. Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210000). Journal of Chinese Physician, 4:5. May 2002. 550.

6.       Effects of Quercetin on Liver Damage in Rats with Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Cirrhosis A Pavanato, Tunon MJ, Sanchez-Campos S, Marroni CA, Llesuy S, Gonzalez-Gallego J, Marroni N. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 48:4. Apr 2003. 824-829.

7.       The Flavonoid Quercetin Inhibits Proinflammatory Cytokine (Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha) Gene Expression in Normal Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells via Modulation of the NF-κB System. Nair MP, Mahajan S, Reynolds JL, Aalinkeel R, Nair H, Schwartz SA, Kandaswami C. Department of Medicine and Microbiology, Kaleida Health System, Buffalo General Hospital, State University of New York at Buffalo, 14203. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 13:3. Mar 2006. 319-328.

8.       Gallic Acid Inhibits Histamine Release and Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Production in Mast Cells. Kim SH, Jun CD, Suk K, Choi BJ, Lim H, Park S, Lee SH, Shin HY, Kim DK, Shin TY. Kyungpook National University (Daegu), Kosin University Gospel Hospital (Pusan), Yeungnam University (Kyongsan), Woosuk University (Jeonbuk), Republic of Korea. Toxicological Sciences, 91:1. 2006. 123-131.

9.       Isolation and identification of a novel flavonoid from Penthorum chinense P. Wang HW, Liu YQ, Feng CG. Department of Light Industry and Chemistry, Zhaoqing Univeristy. J Asian Nat Prod Res, 8:8. Dec 2006. 757-61.