Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "hepatotoxin" abu ne mai guba ko lalata hanta. An samo shi daga kalmar Helenanci "hepar," wanda ke nufin hanta, da "toxikon," wanda ke nufin guba. Hepatotoxins na iya haifar da lalacewar hanta ko lalata aikin hanta, wanda ke haifar da matsalolin kiwon lafiya da yawa kamar hanta, cirrhosis na hanta, da ciwon hanta. Wasu misalan hepatotoxins sun haɗa da barasa, wasu magunguna, gurɓataccen muhalli, da wasu abubuwa na halitta kamar wasu namomin kaza da tsire-tsire.