L-Ornithine-L-aspartate (LOLA) has a scientific basis for use in liver diseases, particularly for managing hyperammonemia in hepatic encephalopathy. Its primary mechanism is enhancing ammonia detoxification by stimulating the urea cycle in liver cells and glutamine synthesis in peripheral tissues. The ammonia-lowering effect is especially relevant in advanced liver disease, where ammonia accumulation can lead to neurotoxicity.

For hepatitis specifically, the evidence is less robust compared to hepatic encephalopathy. While hepatitis—especially acute or chronic viral hepatitis—can impair liver function, most clinical studies on LOLA focus on its use in cirrhosis and encephalopathy rather than hepatitis per se. Some small studies and reviews suggest that LOLA may help support liver function by reducing blood ammonia levels and potentially improving some markers of liver injury, but large, high-quality randomized controlled trials in hepatitis patients are lacking.

Guidelines for hepatitis management do not routinely recommend LOLA, but it may be considered in cases where hepatic encephalopathy coexists with hepatitis or where ammonia levels are elevated. Overall, LOLA’s use in hepatitis is supported by mechanistic plausibility and some clinical reports, but the direct evidence specifically for hepatitis rather than general liver dysfunction is moderate at best.