The liver is the largest solid organ in the body, and it is also considered a gland because among its many functions, it makes and secretes bile. Liver disease is any condition that may cause liver inflammation or tissue damage and affects liver function. Liver disease is categorized both by the cause and the effect it has on the liver. Causes may include infection, injury, exposure to drugs or toxic compounds, an autoimmune process, or a genetic defect that leads to the deposition and buildup of damaging substances such as iron or copper. Effects may include inflammation, scarring, obstructions, clotting abnormalities, and liver failure.

A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism found in nature that usually has pharmacological or biological activities for use in pharmaceutical drug discovery and drug design. The literature indicates that many natural products are available as chemoprotective agents against commonly occurring liver diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, fatty liver diseases, and gallstones. These natural products are found in vegetables, fruits, plant extracts, herbs, insects, and animals.

We invite authors to submit original research and review articles regarding the basic, clinical, and translational research on natural products in prevention and treatment of various liver diseases. Papers should be important to researchers/clinicians in its field, interesting to scientists/clinicians outside the field, and with rigorous methodology and substantial evidence for its conclusions. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Pharmacognosy, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics of natural products-derived ingredients or extracts that could be used to treat liver diseases
• In vivo or in vitro experimental studies verifying the effects of natural products or natural products-derived ingredients or extracts in treating liver diseases
• New points in extracting, identifying, and preparing natural products-derived ingredients or medicines that could be used to treat liver diseases
• The role of natural products-derived medicines in prevention and treatment of liver diseases in clinical practice
• New dosage form or new method of application of natural products-derived medicines that may have better effects in clinical practice

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: