The Anti-urolithiatic effect of the roots of Saussurea costus (falc) Lipsch agonist ethylene glycol and magnesium oxide induced urolithiasis in rats.

Phytotherapy, which involves the use of plant extracts and natural compounds for medicinal purposes, is indeed a promising alternative for managing urinary lithiasis. Many plants have been studied for their potential to prevent and treat kidney stones, and they may offer a more natural and potentially less harmful approach compared to conventional treatments. Additionally, phytotherapy may be more cost-effective. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antilithic potential of extracts and essential oils of Saussurea costus (Falc) Lipsch in two in vivo models, one on ethylene glycol-induced calcium oxalate crystal formation and the other to assess the effects of these extracts on magnesium oxide-induced struvite crystal formation. The experiment involved the administration of different doses of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of S. costus (200 and 400 mg/kg) and essential oils (25 and 50 mg/kg) to male Wistar rats, followed by the evaluation of various physiological, biochemical and histopathological parameters. The results demonstrated that the administration of S. costus essential oils and extracts had significant effects on the rats, influencing body weight, urine volume, crystal deposition, cytobacteriological examination of urine, and serum biochemical parameters. Histopathological examinations revealed varying impacts on the kidneys and livers of the treated rats. The findings suggest that S. costus extracts and essential oils may hold promise in inhibiting calcium oxalate crystal formation in vivo and influencing various physiological and biochemical parameters in rats. Overall, the 200 mg/kg ethanolic extract of S. costus demonstrated antilithiatic efficacy, did not exhibit signs of toxicity and reduced the number of crystals in the kidneys. Furthermore, the study did not find a significant effect on reducing struvite crystals.

Papaver rhoeas L. stem and flower extracts: Anti-struvite, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antidepressant activities.

The Papaver rhoeas L. (P. rhoeas) plant, which belongs to the Papaveraceae family, is also used as food and is exploited to treat several health problems. The purpose of this research is to determine the anti-struvite, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antidepressant effects of the stem extract (SE) and flower extract (FE) of the plant P. rhoeas. We used polarizing microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) to evaluate the anti-struvite effect of our plant. The edema approach induced by the carrageenan molecule was used to study the anti-inflammatory impact of our extracts. The analgesic test was determined by calculating the number of abdominal contractions induced by the intraperitoneal (IP) administration of acetic acid. To evaluate the antidepressant effect of our extracts, we used the forced swimming test (FST). According to the results of the secondary metabolite extraction, both extracts contained high contents of secondary metabolites, while the results of the screening test showed that flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins, coumarins, saponins, and terpenoids were present. The result of struvite crystallization inhibition observed by polarizing microscopy and FT-IR shows the inhibition of struvite crystal aggregation by SE by decreasing the amount and size of crystals in a manner similar to cystone. The results of anti-inflammatory activity show maximum inhibition of edema after six hours of carrageenan injection in rats (T6) for all extracts, with a maximum value of 86.36% for SE at the dose of 200 mg/kg. Regarding the analgesic effect of our plant, the lowest number of abdominal contractions was observed in rats treated with SE at a dose of 400 mg/kg. The FST results show that the lowest immobilization time was observed in rats treated with FE at a dose of 400 mg/kg. The results obtained show that the flowers and stems of P. rhoeas can constitute a rich source of bioactive molecules with potential pharmaceutical applications.

Anti-Struvite, Antimicrobial, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of Saussurea costus (Falc) Lipsch Asteraceae.

Saussurea costus (Falc) Lipsch is a traditional herb used to treat kidney stone problems because it contains several molecules used to treat this health problem, such as quercitrin. Infectious stones are the most painful of all urinary tract disorders, with ammonium phosphate (struvite) and carbapatite stones being the most common, caused by a bacterial infection with urease activity. These stones are treated with antibiotics, but antibiotic resistance is on the rise. The current study investigated the anti-urolithic activities of S. costus aqueous and ethanolic extracts of against struvite crystals synthesized using microscopic crystallization and turbidimetric methods, respectively. The utilized methods indicated that the ethanolic extract of this plant has a significant inhibitory effect on struvite crystallization, with a percentage inhibition of (87.45 ± 1.107) (p < 0.001) for a concentration of 1 mg mL−1 and a decrease in the number of struvite crystals, reaching values less than 100/mm3. For the number of struvite crystals inhibited by cystone, we found a value of 400/mm3 and with the aqueous extract we found 700/mm3. The antibacterial activity of the plant extracts studied was examined against several urease-producing bacteria, and this activity was evaluated by qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods; the highest minimum inhibitory concentration was seen in the ethanolic extract, with an MIC of 50 mg mL−1 for Staphylococcus aureus followed by an MIC of 200 mg mL−1 for Klebsiella pneumoniae. It showed a minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae (>50 mg mL−1 and >200 mg mL−1, respectively). Furthermore, to determine the extract's anti-inflammatory activity, in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was investigated in rats. The results show that at a dose of 400 mg kg−1, the ethanolic extract has a maximum edema inhibition of 66%.

Antioxidant and Anti-Urolithiatic Activity of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts from Saussurea costus (Falc) Lispich Using Scanning Electron Microscopy.

The plant Saussurea costus (Falc) Lipsch has many biological activities and a strong curative and preventive power against a variety of diseases including cancer, diabetes, and hemorrhoids. In the current study, phytochemical screening was carried out as well as an investigation of the antilithiatic and antioxidant activities of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of this plant. The results showed that aqueous and ethanolic extracts were effective in reducing cystine stone mass and that the aqueous extract of Saussurea costus (Falc) Lipsch had the highest percentage of dissolution (6.756 ± 1.024) (p < 0.05). A turbidimetric method and a crystallization test were used to evaluate the antilithiatic activity of an aqueous and ethanolic extract of this plant on calcium oxalate crystallization. The results of these methods revealed that the ethanolic extract of this plant has a significant inhibitory effect on calcium oxalate crystallization, with a percentage inhibition of (91.017 ± 0.299) (p < 0.05) for a concentration of 2 mg mL−1. The DPPH method revealed that the ethanolic extract of Saussurea costus (Falc) Lipsch with a concentration of (IC50 = 0.12325 mg mL−1) had the highest IC50, whereas the FRAP method revealed that the aqueous extract of Saussurea costus (Falc) Lipsch with a concentration of 300 µg mL−1 has the most significant reducing power with (OD = 0.56 ± 0.05). These findings indicate that aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Saussurea costus (Falc) Lipsch had a significant effect on whewellite and weddellite and a greater free radical scavenging effect but had no effect on cystine dissolution.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Potentials, and Calcium Oxalate Anticrystallization Activity of Polyphenol and Saponin Fractions from Argania spinosa L. Press Cake.

A wide range of biological properties and a potent therapeutic and prophylactic effect on chronic diseases are all present in Argania spinosa L. press cake. The aim of this research is to valorize the anticrystallization properties against calcium oxalate crystals of Argania spinosa L. press cake fractions and identify its bioactive components. Chemical species identification was performed using GC-MS analysis. The turbidimetric model was used to investigate crystallization inhibition in vitro. Infrared spectroscopy technique was used to characterize the synthesized crystals. Furthermore, both DPPH and FRAP methods were used to assess antioxidant activity. The results show that the fractions are equally important in crystallization inhibition percentages of calcium oxalate crystals. For saponin and polyphenol fractions, the inhibition percentages are in the orders of 83.49% and 82.83%, respectively. The results of the antioxidant activity by DPPH method show that the two fractions are equally important in the elimination of free radicals; the inhibition percentages were 77.87 ± 4.21 and 89.92 ± 1.39 for both polyphenols and saponins, respectively. FRAP method showed that the absorbance increases proportionally with concentration, and the absorbance are almost similar for both fractions and reach maximum values in the orders of 0.52 ± 0.07 and 0.42 ± 0.03, respectively, for saponins and polyphenols. These findings demonstrate that both fractions are rich in bioactive chemicals and have an anticrystallization capacity, allowing them to be employed for the curative and prophylactic effects against urolithiasis.

Chemical Composition and Anti-Urolithiatic Activity of Extracts from Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels Press-Cake and Acacia senegal (L.) Willd.

Ethnobotanical studies have reported the traditional medicinal uses of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. and Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels against kidney stone formation and other chronic kidney diseases. The present work is undertaken to study the litholytic activity and the inhibiting activity of calcium oxalate crystallization by bioactive compounds identified in Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels press-cake (residue of Argan oil) and in Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. The litholytic activity was studied in vitro on cystine and uric acid stones using a porous bag and an Erlenmeyer glass. The study of the inhibiting activity of calcium oxalate crystallization, was based on temporal measurements of the optical density, registered at a 620 nm wavelength for 30 min using an ultraviolet−visible spectrophotometer. The silylation method was performed to identify phytochemicals, followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrophotometry (GC/MS) analysis. The results show significant litholytic activity of Argania Spinosa press-cake hydro-ethanolic extract on uric acid and cystine stones, respectively, with dissolution rates (DR) of 86.38% and 60.42% versus 3.23% and 9.48% for the hydro-ethanolic extract of Acacia senegal exudate. Furthermore, the percentages of nucleation inhibition are 83.78% and 43.77% (p ˂ 0.05) for Argania spinosa and Acacia senegal, respectively. The results point to the detection of 17 phytochemicals in Argania spinosa press-cake extract, the majority of which are phenolic acids and have potent anti-urolithiatic action.