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New Light on Plants and Their Chemical Compounds Used in Polish Folk Medicine to Treat Urinary Diseases

Authors :
Beata Olas
Waldemar Różański
Karina Urbańska
Natalia Sławińska
Magdalena Bryś
Source :
Pharmaceuticals, Vol 17, Iss 4, p 435 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

This review contains the results of Polish (Central Europe) ethnomedical studies that describe the treatment of urinary tract diseases with wild and cultivated plants. The study includes only the plants that are used to treat the urinary tract, excluding prostate diseases. A review of the literature was carried out to verify the pharmacological use of the plants mentioned in the interviews. Based on this, the study reviews the pharmacological activities of all the recorded species and indicates their most important chemical compounds. Fifty-three species (belonging to 30 families) were selected for the study. The Compositae (eight species), Rosaceae (six species), and Apiaceae (six species) are the most common families used in the treatment of urinary diseases in Polish folk medicine. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed that many of these plant species have beneficial properties, such as diuretic, antihyperuricemic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity, or the prevention of urinary stone formation. These effects are exerted through different mechanisms, for example, through the activation of bradykinin B2 receptors, inhibition of xanthine oxidase, or inhibition of Na+-K+ pump. Many plants used in folk medicine are rich in phytochemicals with proven effectiveness against urinary tract diseases, such as rutin, arbutin, or triterpene saponins.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14248247 and 64165442
Volume :
17
Issue :
4
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Pharmaceuticals
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.6e347ca641654426a8bc5a9df27bb819
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17040435