BEYOND CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS: EXPLORING PHYTOCHEMICAL REMEDIES FROM LAURACEAE AND OXALIDACEAE IN UROLITHIASIS

Kidney stones are also called as renal calculus or nephrolith. These are small, hard, deposits of mineral and acid salts on the inner lining of the kidney. Nephrolithiasis is characterized by the formation of renal calculus within the kidneys. When these stones leave the renal pelvis and travel into the remaining portions of the urinary system, which includes the ureters, bladder, and urethra, this condition is known as urolithiasis. Urolithiasis has become a serious global health problem and it is a common painful urologic condition that affects 12% of people worldwide. Nephrolithiasis is more common in men as compared to women and the recurrence rate in men (70-81%) is also higher than the females (47-60%). People of all ages are affected by urolithiasis but the age between 50 and 60 years was the peak age for the formation of calcium oxalate stones. Lauraceae is one of the most common and widely spread families. The plants of Lauraceae family are grown in tropical and warm climates. Some species of Lauraceae family are used globally as folk medicines to cure a variety of illnesses. Inspite of this, it has observed that only a small number of Lauraceae species have been examined for their antiurolithiatic activity. Some plants of Oxalidaceae family are traditionally used by tribal people in the treatment of urolithiasis due to presence of bioactive phytoconstituent.