S-ADENOSYL-L-METHIONINE (SAMe): Use as a food supplement in alcoholic liver diseases Karoline dos Santos Martins, Ana Beatriz Carollo Rocha-Lima, Veronica Cristina Gomes Soares

Abstract

S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) is a nutritional ingredient that was discovered in 1952 and was later associated with the adjunctive treatment of several pathologies, including alcoholic liver disease. This study reviews the literature to analyze the use of SAMe as a food supplement and its potential therapeutic use in the treatment of liver diseases caused by chronic alcohol use. Was realized analysis of articles in academic health databases: PubMed and Scielo, with the keywords in Health Science (DeCS): S-Adenosil-L-Methionine; Liver and alcoholic liver disease, in Portuguese and English, where the inclusion criteria were original articles from clinical trials, systematic review and meta-analysis, in humans, and exclusion were studies in animals, or not related to pathologies caused by chronic use of alcohol. 379 articles were found, of which 21 were included and 359 were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. The survey made it possible to conclude that the use of SAMe in the adjuvant treatment of alcoholic liver diseases, with a daily dosage of 1200 a 1600 mg orally, decreased the rate of mortality and liver transplantation and improved the levels of s-alanine aminotransferase, hepatic glutathione, red blood cell glutathione, reduced hepatic glutathione and fasting plasma methionine clearance. However, more randomized clinical trials should be performed to confirm its effects.