Acute Hepatitis Associated with The Use of Herbal Tea (Fennel and Cumin)

Herbal remedies have become increasingly popular throughout the globe as a result of disappointment with conventional medicines. The public often regards them as harmless. However, some of these products or their metabolites can cause adverse effects such as liver damage. In this study, two patients who developed acute hepatitis due to consuming herbal tea are presented. Twenty-six and thirty-year-old two women were admitted to our department with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, anorexia and weakness. Serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were increased; all serological tests for viral hepatitis and autoimmune disorders were negative. They had consumed an herbal tea containing fennel and cumin to increase lactation everyday for three-four weeks. Discontinuation of the herbal tea resulted in normalization of liver enzymes four-five weeks later. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of hepatitis possibly related to use of an herbal tea containing fennel and cumin. This study suggests that herbal tea containing fennel and cumin can cause hepatotoxicity, which could be clinically confused with other causes of acute hepatitis. Clinicians may face with a case of acute hepatitis that is not readily diagnosed, and should question patients about herbal remedy use