Vol. 44 (4): 758-764, July – August, 2018

doi: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.0521


ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Nidia D. Pucci 1, Giovanni S. Marchini 2, Eduardo Mazzucchi 2, Sabrina T. Reis 3, Miguel Srougi 2, Denise Evazian 1, William C. Nahas 2
1 Divisão de Nutrição e Dietética, Instituto Central, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina. São Paulo, Brasil; 2 Divisão de Urologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, São Paulo, Brasil; 3 Laboratório de Investigação Médica, Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, São Paulo, Brasil

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: Kidney Calculi; Disease; Urolithiasis

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