Current scenario of urolithiasis and the use of medicinal plants as antiurolithiatic agents in Manipur (North East India): a review.

Abstract

Almost every family in Manipur has a member afflicted with urolithiasis. Standard pharmaceutical drugs used to prevent and cure urolithiasis are not effective in all cases, costly, quite common recurrences, risks of long term fertility, potential side effects and no guarantee. Despite the improvements in medical techniques such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and percutaneous nephrostolithotomy, the worldwide incidence of urolithiasis is quite high and there is no truly satisfactory drug for treatment of renal calculi. A large number of Indian medicinal plants have been used in the treatment of urolithiasis and they have been reported to be effective with fewer side effects. This paper deals with the current scenario of Urolithiasis in Manipur and reported the detail documentations of 107 plants from Manipur currently used by different ethnic communities as antiurolithiatic agents.