| Introduction: |
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Varuna is a small tree, often found wild along the riverbanks and cultivated through out India. It is distributed in sub-Himalayan tracts and is indigenous to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Varuna is one of the best litholytic herbs and has been used throughout the ages for the treatment of urolithiasis and crystalluria. Varuna is mentioned in vedic literature, its therapeutic use being known to ancient Ayurvedic physicians, especially as a blood purifier, to maintain homeostasis. |
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| Major Chemical Constituents: |
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| Major constituents of Varuna are alkaloids, tannins, triterpenes, and flavonoids, glucosinolates, lupeol (plant sterol), saponins. |
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| Pharmacological Actions |
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Diuretic Effect:1
Lupeol was isolated as the active principle from Crataeva nuravala, which possesses significant dose dependent diuretic activity in rat. It increased the urine volume and osmolality and also Na+ excretion. The excretion of K+, however, remained unaffected by lupeol treatment. |
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Antilithiiatic activity: 2,3,4
The effect of lupeol on calcium oxalate stones was measured. The result of the study suggested that lupeol reduces the level of enzyme, which damages renal tissue. This suggests a beneficial effect in reducing deposition of stone forming constituents in the kidney. Clinically, the antilithic effect was studied in patients with calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate nephrolithiasis. Treatment with Crateva nurvala provided symptomatic relief of pain and dysuria and the disappearance of urinary crystals in 65-70% patients in the calcium oxalate group and 50-70% in the calcium phophate group. |
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| Herb Drug interactions: |
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| There are no known herb drug interactions. |
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| Safety: 5 |
| The leaves are reported to cause reddening and even blistering of the skin when applied topically. The decoction of the root bark and stem bark appear to be well tolerated. The LD50 of a 50% ethanolic extract of stem bark was found to be >1000mg/kg administered IP to adult rats. |
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| Reference |
| 1 |
Anand R, Patnaik GK, Kulshreshtha DK, Dhawan BN. Antiurolithiatic and diuretic activity of lupeol, the active constituent isolated from Crateva nurvala (Buch. Ham). IndianJ Pharmacol 1992; 24: 48-9. |
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| 2 |
Malini MM, Baskar R, Varalakshmi P. Effect of lupeol, a pentacyclic triterpene, on urinary enzymes in hyperoxaluric rats. Jpn J Med Sci Biol. 1995 Oct-Dec; 48(5-6):211-20 |
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| 3 |
Varalakshmi P, Shamila Y, Latha E. Effect of Crataeva nurvala in experimental urolithiasis. J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Mar; 28(3): 313-21. |
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| 4 |
Singh RG, Usha D, Kapoor S 1991 Evaluation of antilithic properties of Varuna (Crataeva nurvala): an indigenous drug. Journal of Research and Education in India Medicine 1092:35 |
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| 5 |
Bhakuni DS, Dhar ML, Dhar MM, Dhawan BN, Gupta B, Seimal RC 1971 Screening of Indian plants for biological activity. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 9:92 |
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