International Journal of Green Pharmacy • Apr-Jun 2017 (Suppl) • 11 (2) | S324 Antiurolithic activity of different fractions of Aganosma dichotoma as folk medicine of Andhra Pradesh Deepali Pandey 1 , Shardendu Mishra 2 , Siva Hemalatha 1 1 Department of Pharmaceutics, Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2 Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India Abstract Objective: Aganosma dichotoma K. Schum has been traditionally used in the treatment of urological disorder in Ayurvedic system of medicine and also used by tribals of Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, this study aims to establish its traditional claims and investigate the effect of root extract and fractions of A. dichotoma (Apocynaceae) against ethylene glycol (EG) induced urolithiasis in male albino rats. Materials and Methods: Lithiasis was induced by oral administration of ethylene glycolated water (0.75% v/v) in rats for 28 days and was manifested by the high level of calcium, oxalate, phosphate, creatinine, uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in both urine and serum. Polarized microscopy of urine, as well as histological study of kidney, was also performed in rats. Alcoholic extract, petroleum ether, chloroform, and butanol fractions were evaluated in this study. Result: Supplementation with ethanolic root extract of A. dichotoma (EAD) and their fractions significantly (P ˂ 0.001) reduced the elevated urinary oxalate, calcium, and phosphate level as well as also decreased the level of creatinine, uric acid, and BUN in serum. In urine microscopy and histology of the kidney samples, EAD and petroleum ether fraction (PF) showed maximum inhibition of crystal deposition in a dose-dependent manner as compared to control group. Discussion and Conclusion: The result of this study revealed that EAD and PF are endowed with antiurolithic activity and justifying folk information of the plant. Further investigations are required to illuminate the chemical constituents and mechanism liable for antiurolithic activity. Key words: Aganosma dichotoma, calcium oxalate, ethylene glycol, folk medicine, urolithiasis Address for correspondence: Dr. Siva Hemalatha, Department of Pharmaceutics, Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Phone: +91-9415256481. E-mail: shemalatha.phe@itbhu.ac.in Received: 28-04-2017 Revised: 10-05-2017 Accepted: 16-05-2017 INTRODUCTION L ithiasis (stone formation) is one of the most painful urologic disorders responsible for urolithiasis, acute, and chronic renal failure and associated with morbidity and end-stage renal failure in India. [1] Approximately 12% of the global population is affected with lithiasis, and its re-occurrence rate in males is 70-81% and 47-60% in female. [2] The prevalence and incidence of urolithiasis are reported to be increasing across the world and more common in children over the past few decades due to rapid variations in habits and increasing affluence. [3] Various factors such as age, sex, industrialization, socioeconomic status, diet and environment, influences urolithiasis in terms of both site, and the physico-chemical composition of the calculi. [4] Recent epidemiology studies reveals that about 80% of stones are made up of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate; 10% of struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate formed during infection with bacteria that possess the enzyme urease), 9% of uric acid and the remaining 1% are composed of cystine, or ammonium acid urate are diagnosed as drug-related stones. [5] This approach for the treatment of urolithiasis is mainly associated with some allopathic agents such as thiazide diuretics, alkali, allopurinol, penicillamine, analgesic, and probiotics. But most of them are not effective in all cases and have risks of long-term fertility. [6] Despite these drugs, some ORIGINAL ARTICLE