Abstract

PLANT SYSTEM AS A TOOL FOR VALIDATING ETHNOBOTANICAL CLAIMS FOR KIDNEY STONE TREATMENT

Susmita Gudulkar, Karishma Rajbhar, Himanshu Dawda and Usha Mukundan*

Abstract

A renal calculus or kidney stone is one of the most prevalent and widespread conditions in the world, without a guaranteed cure. None of the known and available treatments prevent the recurrence of kidney stone formation. Hence, new and improved treatment methods are constantly being developed. This study claims to use plant systems as tools to provide a scientific basis for ethnobotanical treatments for kidney stones using Ficus elastica cystolith and Colocasia esculenta raphides as targets and Tectona grandis fruit and Bryophyllum pinnata leaf extracts as treatments. In addition, the phytochemical analysis of these extracts is also proposed. Observation was performed by photomicrograph of cell cystolith and raphides before and after treatment. The method was specifically used to study dissolution of calcium oxalate crystals and can provide a potential alternative to animal testing. This article emphasizes a method to validate the efficacy of ethnobotanical herbal remedies which show in vitro anti-urolithiatic activity. They can be further taken up for in vivo studies by treating plant cells containing calcium oxalate crystals as a model to study the effect of plant extracts. An ethical consideration on this alternative method offers a more humane approach to in vivo testing for biomedical science.

Keywords: Animal testing, alternative, cystolith, ethnobotany, raphides.