Effect of phyllanthus niruri on metabolic parameters of patients with kidney stone: a perspective for disease prevention

Int Braz J Urol. 2018 Jul-Aug;44(4):758-764. doi: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.0521.

Abstract

Phyllanthus niruri (P.niruri) or stone breaker is a plant commonly used to reduce stone risk, however, clinical studies on this issue are lacking.

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the effect of P. niruri on the urinary metabolic parameters of patients with urinary lithiasis.

Materials and methods: We studied 56 patients with kidney stones <10mm. Clinical, metabolic, and ultrasonography assessment was conducted before (baseline) the use of P. niruri infusion for 12-weeks (P. niruri) and after a 12-week (wash out) Statistical analysis included ANOVA for repeated measures and Tukey's/McNemar´s test for categorical variables. Significance was set at 5%.

Results: Mean age was 44±9.2 and BMI was 27.2±4.4kg/m2. Thirty-six patients (64%) were women. There were no significant changes in all periods for anthropometric and several serum measurements, including total blood count, creatinine, uric acid, sodium, potassium, calcium, urine volume and pH; a significant increase in urinary potassium from 50.5±20.4 to 56.2±21.8 mg/24-hour (p=0.017); magnesium/creatinine ratio 58±22.5 to 69.1±28.6mg/ gCr24-hour (p=0.013) and potassium/creatinine ratio 39.3±15.1 to 51.3±34.7mg/gCr24- hour (p=0.008) from baseline to wash out. The kidney stones decreased from 3.2±2 to 2.0±2per patient (p<0.001). In hyperoxaluria patients, urinary oxalate reduced from 59.0±11.7 to 28.8±16.0mg/24-hour (p=0.0002), and in hyperuricosuria there was a decrease in urinary uric acid from 0.77±0.22 to 0.54±0.07mg/24-hour (p=0.0057).

Conclusions: P.niruri intake is safe and does not cause significant adverse effects on serum metabolic parameters. It increases urinary excretion of magnesium and potassium caused a significant decrease in urinary oxalate and uric acid in patients with hyperoxaluria and hyperuricosuria. The consumption of P.niruri contributed to the elimination of urinary calculi.

Keywords: Disease; Kidney Calculi; Urolithiasis.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Calcium / blood
  • Calcium / urine
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Creatinine / urine
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kidney Calculi / diagnostic imaging
  • Kidney Calculi / metabolism*
  • Kidney Calculi / prevention & control*
  • Magnesium / urine
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oxalates / urine
  • Phyllanthus / chemistry*
  • Potassium / blood
  • Potassium / urine
  • Prospective Studies
  • Reference Values
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sodium / blood
  • Sodium / urine
  • Teas, Herbal*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Urea / blood
  • Urea / urine
  • Uric Acid / blood
  • Uric Acid / urine
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Oxalates
  • Teas, Herbal
  • Uric Acid
  • Urea
  • Sodium
  • Creatinine
  • Magnesium
  • Potassium
  • Calcium