Abstract

DIURETIC ACTIVITY OF ACACIA CATECHU: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PHYTOCHEMISTRY, PHARMACOLOGY, AND THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL

Ravinesh Mishra*, Kanika Rao* and Vikramjeet Singh*

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Abstract

Acacia Catechu widely used in traditional medicine such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, has been drawing attention as a natural diuretic. This review intends to systematically summarize and integrate the information available on the phytochemistry, pharmacological procedures, and therapeutic chance of A. catechu in diuretic therapy. Catechins, tannins, flavonoids (quercetin, for example), and phenolic acids would be the main bioactive components involved in diuretic effect through the mechanism of inhibition of Na⁺/K⁺-K-ATPase, increase in renal blood flow, increase in sodium and water excretion, and antioxidant protection of renal tissues. Preclinical investigations demonstrate marked diuretic activity in saltloaded and furosemide-comparative animal models, with low toxicity levels in both acute and sub-chronic evaluations. Despite these facts, clinical studies are limited to ethnopharmacological studies only, reflecting a great lack on translational medicine. Standardisation of extracts, molecular pathways clarification and validation through strong clinical data are urgently needed. Therefore, A. catechu may provide promising natural-derived cheap and safe alternative for diuretic treatment, the future research on this promising botanical agent has to be conducted with more emphasis on clinical validation and formulation development to implement in to evidence-based medical practice.

Keywords: Diuretic activity, Phytoconstituents, Catechins, Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase inhibition, Herbal medicine, Renal pharmacology.