Song XH, Gou HX, Huang Z, Luo ZL. Ziziphus spina-christi leaf extract in schistosomal liver disease: Biomarker gains in hepatectomy model-perioperatively actionable? World J Hepatol 2026; 18(10): 117794 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.117794]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Zhu-Lin Luo, MD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of General Surgery, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, No. 270 Rongdu Road, Jinniu District, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan Province, China. lzl810130@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
editorial
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World J Hepatol. Oct 27, 2026; 18(10): 117794 Published online Oct 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.117794
Ziziphus spina-christi leaf extract in schistosomal liver disease: Biomarker gains in hepatectomy model-perioperatively actionable?
Xue-Hu Song, Hao-Xian Gou, Zhu Huang, Zhu-Lin Luo
Xue-Hu Song, Hao-Xian Gou, Zhu-Lin Luo, Department of General Surgery, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan Province, China
Zhu Huang, Department of Hyperbaric Oxygen, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan Province, China
Co-first authors: Xue-Hu Song and Hao-Xian Gou.
Co-corresponding authors: Zhu Huang and Zhu-Lin Luo.
Author contributions: Song XH and Gou HX wrote the original draft; Luo ZL and Huang Z contributed to conceptualization, writing, reviewing and editing; Song XH and Luo ZL participated in drafting the manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final version; Song XH and Gou HX contributed equally to this work and are co-first authors. Luo ZL and Huang Z contributed equally as co-corresponding authors and were responsible for conceptualization, writing, reviewing, and editing. Luo ZL is responsible for all correspondence with the journal. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The main text of this Editorial was authored by the researchers. All expert opinions and clinical perspectives are original. AI tools were used exclusively for language polishing to improve the clarity and professional tone of the manuscript. No AI was used for data analysis.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Corresponding author: Zhu-Lin Luo, MD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of General Surgery, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, No. 270 Rongdu Road, Jinniu District, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan Province, China. lzl810130@163.com
Received: December 16, 2025 Revised: January 30, 2026 Accepted: February 25, 2026 Published online: October 27, 2026 Processing time: 302 Days and 11 Hours
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a major neglected tropical disease that leads to periportal fibrosis, portal hypertension, and compromised hepatic reserve. In endemic regions, the disease persists despite anthelmintic therapy, thereby increasing surgical risks. This editorial discusses the study by Alghamdi published in the World Journal of Hepatology, which evaluates the effects of Ziziphus spina-christi leaf extract (ZSCLE) in a hamster model of Schistosoma mansoni-induced fibrosis undergoing 50% partial hepatectomy. The study demonstrated that ZSCLE reduced hepatic egg burden, improved biochemical markers and inflammatory markers, activated cellular injury responses, and increased regeneration indices. Although these preclinical findings indicate potential benefits, they do not yet establish clinical perioperative efficacy due to the absence of definitive outcomes, such as post-hepatectomy liver failure, bleeding/transfusion surrogates, survival, and dynamic reserve testing. The central clinical question remains whether ZSCLE enhances hepatic tolerance and recovery following major surgical stress, possibly through anti-inflammatory/antioxidant signaling or direct antiparasitic activity, beyond improvements in biochemical markers alone. Future development of ethnomedicines should prioritize standardized research methodologies, comprehensive safety evaluations, and investigations incorporating clinically relevant functional endpoints and hard clinical outcomes to ensure both efficacy and safety in clinical settings.
Core Tip: This editorial examines a hamster model of Schistosoma mansoni-induced fibrosis, in which Ziziphus spina-christi leaf extract reduced egg burden and improved inflammatory markers. Although these preclinical findings are insufficient to establish clinical significance, they highlight key areas for future research, including standardizing interventions, conducting comprehensive safety profiling, and adopting rigorous study designs.
