RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND TECHNOLOGY

The plant Terminalia arjuna is claimed to be useful in the management of renal disorders. Recurrence of stone formation is the major concern worldwide due to partial and unsatisfactory relief. In the present study, the preventive and curative activity against kidney stones in urolithiatic rats was evaluated using bark of Terminalia arjuna. Preliminary phytochemical investigation using various test, estimation of phenolic and flavonoid content followed by antioxidant potential was also investigated. Invitro antiurolithiatic effect on artificial urine and in vivo effect in terms of curative and preventive potential on animals were reported. Urolithiasis was developed in rats by administration of ethylene glycol 0.75% v/v with 1% w/v ammonium chloride in drinking water. The ethanolic extract of T. arjuna at 200 and 400 mg/kg were administered to rat orally. Urine was collected from individual rats and used for investigation of various parameters like urine calcium, phosphate, oxalate and BUN. In serum, creatinine, calcium and uric acid levels were also estimated. The kidney homogenate was used for the estimation of oxidative biomarkers and histopathological reports. Terminalia arjuna bark extract showed the presence of tannin, terpenoids, saponin, flavonoids, glycosides, phenolic compounds, alkaloids etc and showed good amount of phenolic and flavonoid contents. The lithogenic induction caused impairment of renal function and oxidative stress, manifested as increased malondialdehyde, depleted reduced glutathione and decreased catalase activities of the kidneys, which were reversed by T. arjuna orally at both the doses in preventive as well as curative model. Thus, the current study revealed that the bark of Terminalia arjuna was endowed with antiurolithiatic activity possibly through an antioxidant.