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info and etymology
The species name – urinaria
– refers to the urinary system and to its long history of folkloric
use and benefit in the treatment of kidney and gallbladder stones; and
hence, its common names of shatterstone or stonebreaker.
Botany
· Erect, branched, slender, glabrous or nearly glabrous herb,
10 to 40 cm high, the branches angled.
· Leaves: distichous, imbricate, alternate, pale beneath, sessile,
elliptic-oblong to oblong, thin, 5 to 10 mm long, obtuse or apiculate,
base slightly oblique, stipules lanceolate.
· Flowers: unisexual, very small, 5-merous, axillary, about 1
mm in diameter, sessile or very shortly pedicelled. Sepal greenish,
stamens 3, filaments united below; anthers erect, the slit vertical.
· Fruits: capsules about 2 mm in diameter, muricate or smooth,
of 3 dehiscent.
Distribution
A weed in open spaces at low and medium altitude.
In waste places throughout the Philippines.
Chemical constituents
and properties
Considered abortifacient, ecbolic, febrifuge, antihepatotoxic, antiviral,
antibacterial and hypoglycemic.
Contains alkaloids, tannins.
Study isolated 14 compounds, seven were identified as: corilagin, rutin,
brevifolincarboxylic acid, isostrictiniin, geraniin, gallic acid and
ellagic acid.
Parts
utilized
· Part utilized: entire plant.
· Collect from May to October.
· Rinse, half-dry under the sunlight, compress, then continue
drying under shade.
Uses
Folkloric
· Infantile convulsions, hepatitis, jaundice.
· Nephritic edema, urinary infection and lithiasis.
· Enteritis-diarrhea, dysentery,
· Reddening and swelling pains of the eye.
· Dosage: use 15 to 30 gms of dried material or 30 to 60 gms
of fresh material in decoction.
· In Ayurveda, used to treat jaundice,
dysentery, diabetes, skin ulcers, itching.
Studies
•
Antiinflammatory:
study reports that Phyllanthus may inhibit some
pro-inflammatory enzymes with a potential use as antiinflammatory for
rheumatic ailments.
• Study suggests that P. urinaria and P. niruri may be helpful
in Hepatitis B and in malaria.
• Anti-viral: (1)
Acetone, ethanol and methanol extracts of Phyllanthus urinaria inhibit
HSV-2 infection in vitro: Study showed the extracts likely inhibited
HSV-2 infection by decreasing virus infectivity and disturbing the early
stage of infection. (2) Study yielded excoecarianin with possible
entry-inhibitor activity against HSV2 and presents a potential for combinational
drug treatment in the management of HSV-2 infection.
• Chronic Hepatitis B: Study
of aqueous extracts of dried herbs of PU did not show cytotoxicity in
uninfected normal cells while protecting MDBK cells froms viral infection.
Results support other clinical studies that suggests the herbal supplement
may be beneficial for chronic hepatitis B patients.
• Hippomanin / Anti-Herpes: Hippomanin
A from Acetone Extract of Phyllanthus urinaria inhibited HSV-2 but not
HSV-1 Infection In Vitro: Results shows hippomanin A impeded HSV-2 but
not HSV1..
• Antioxidant / Cardioprotective:
Antioxidative and Cardioprotective
Effects of Phyllanthus urinaria L. on Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity:
Study showed the PU's cardioprotection was mediated through multiple
pathways, and suggests this plant may be an alternative source of antioxidants
for the prevention of DOX cardiotoxicity.
• Phenolic Antioxidants from the Whole Plant
of Phyllanthus urinaria: Study demonstrated considerable
radical-scavenging activity, isolating 15 phenolic compounds, including
ellagitannins, flavonoids and simple glycosylated aromatic acids.
• Hepatoprotective: Study
of alcohol extract of Phyllanthus urinaria showed hepatoprotective effects
by inducing the activity of the liver enzyme system.
• Anti-Telomerase Activity /
Anti-Cancer: Study investigated
the effect of P urinaria on telomerase activity and apoptotic pathways
in the human nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines. Study yielded 5 major compounds:
gallic acid, brevifolin carboxylic acid, corilagin, phyllanthusiin C
and ellagic acid. Results showed PU induces death of NPC-BM1 cells in
vitro through apoptosis induction and telomerase inhibition.
• Anticancer: Water
extract of P urinaria was tested for anticancer effect on human myelooid
leukemia cells. P urinaria induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells probably
mediated through a ceramide-related pathway.
Availability
• Wild-crafted.
• Capsules and extracts in the cybermarket.
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