Table 3.

Animal models of biliary fibrosis used to investigate the effect of herbal medicines.

Model	Experiment durations	Herbal medicine	Pathological and biochemical changes; mechanism involved	Reference
Bile duct ligation	3 days	Aqueous extract from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum	Blocked ALT and AST. Restored antioxidant enzymes. High dose showed lesser hepatocyte necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration.	[144]
	2 weeks	Yang-Gan-wan	Reduced α1 (I) procollagen and α-SMA.	[145]
	2 weeks	Artemisia capillaris	Reduced cholestatic markers and Hyp. Blocked liver injury and collagen deposition. Reduced α-SMA, PDGF, and TGF-β.	[146]
	28 days	Green tea polyphenol	Reduced portosystemic shunting, fibrosis, intrahepatic angiogenesis, and mesenteric window vascular density. Decreased HIF-1α, VEGF, and phospho-Akt.	[147]
	4 weeks	Huangqi decoction	Reduced fibrosis degree. Increased Hyp content, CK7, and α-SMA.	[148]
	4 weeks	Huangqi decoction	Blocked collagen deposition. Reduced ALT, Tbil, and Hyp. Inhibited TGF-β1, its receptors, SMAD3, and pERK1/2.	[42]
	7 weeks	Inchinko-to	Decreased ALT and AST. Reduced TGF-β1 and α-SMA.	[149]