Objectives: To determine the protective effect of Piper aduncum (matico) leaves ethanol extract and its phytomedicine in capsules in liver cirrhosis induced in rats. Design: Experimental. Location: Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru. Biological material: Leaves of Piper aduncum, and Rattus norvegicus, Holtzman strain. Interventions: The leaves were collected in La Merced district, Pasco department. The phytomedicine capsules were prepared from the plant ethanol extract. Cirrhosis was induced with phenobarbital 0.5 mg/mL diluted in drinking water during 15 days, then carbon tetrachloride 0.2mL/kg 1:1 in olive oil orally during 7 days. Blood samples were drawn in order to determine liver profile and malondialdehyde; the animals were sacrificed, extracting the liver for pathology study. Data were evaluated by multivariate techniques with p <0.05. Ma...