Antilithiatic Properties of Moroccan Medicinal Plants and Mechanism Insights of their Phytochemicals

The transition from raw herbs to synthetic pharmaceuticals bioactive compounds has undergone evolution and herbal medicine has become an important source of raw materials to treat different illnesses. Indeed, the alternative treatment using herbal medicine has come into demand in recent years and has renewed interest in the plants that are effective, safe, and culturally acceptable. In Morocco, several medicinal plants are used traditionally to treat kidney stones and in vitro and in vivo experimental studies have proved their antilithiasic activity. This review aims to list all in vitro and in vivo antilithiasic medicinal plants used by the Moroccan population and to present bioactive compounds responsible for this activity. Further, we determined some molecular targets by these bioactive compounds.

Keywords: Crystallization, Kidney stones, Phyto-molecules, Urinary.