Phyllanthus urinaria: a potential phytopharmacological source of natural medicine

July 2018International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine 11(7):6509-6520 Project: Southern medicine Guankui duGuankui duMan XiaoSiman Yu Shenggang Sang Abstract and figures Phyllanthus urinaria is an herb species in the family Euphorbiaceae. P. urinaria, which grows mainly in tropical regions such as India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and the United States, has long been used in traditional oriental medicine for the treatment of liver damage, hepatitis, jaundice, renal disorders, en-teritis, diarrhea, and dropsy. Experimentally, P. urinaria displays antiviral, anti-tumor, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial effects. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, carboxylic acids, tannins, coumarins, and lignans in P. urinaria extracts (PUE). Meanwhile, PUE possess various pharmacological and biological activities. This study summarizes the ethno-medical use, chemical constituents, and pharmacological profile of P. urinaria. As a medicinal plant, this herb has emerged as a good source of traditional medicines. However, the composition-activity relationship for this plant deserves further research.