Enhancing the Inhibitory Actions of Natural Polyphenols on UrolithiasisDevelopment

Urolithiasis is a disorder affecting approximately 12% of the world's population, and has a recurrence rate of 47-60% in women and 70-80% in men. The standard therapeutic drugs used for the prevention and treatment of urolithiasis include allopurinol, citrate, cystone, and thiazide diuretics; yet, because of the recurrence of kidney stones and other adverse effects, these drugs are not always effective. All these consequences of surgical treatment result in stone recurrence, hypertension, and chronic renal injury. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress (OS) have been identified in numerous studies as key pathogenic contributors to the development of stones. Dietary polyphenols are a broad class of naturally occurring antioxidant chemicals that are found in many plant-based foods and drinks. A broad class of naturally occurring antioxidant molecules found in many plant-based foods and drinks is called dietary polyphenols. In recent decades, their many health advantages have drawn increasing scientific interest. The usefulness of dietary polyphenols in preventing the formation of stones has been documented. Based on recent studies, plant flavonoids can potentially inhibit the formation of CaOx stones both in vitro and in vivo. This is consistent with their diuretic, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, and other preventive activities. The plant extracts that contain flavonoids or flavonoid-containing compounds and possess anti-urolithiasis activity have been assessed, as well as their probable mechanisms of action. Furthermore, we have provided opportunities and obstacles in transforming plant flavonoids into medications that prevent stones, as well as some issues that should be considered in future research. Urolithiasis can be effectively treated using various medicinal herbs with diuretic, antispasmodic, and antioxidant properties. These plants also limit the nucleation, aggregation, and crystallization of crystals. Natural polyphenols show strong binding affinity (Ka = 104–106 M−1) toward proteins and DNA through hydrogen bonding, van der Waals, and hydrophobic interactions, with negative ΔG indicating spontaneous interaction.