Effects of an herbal tea made up with dried Chrysanthellum afroamericanum plants on crystalluria and urinary stones
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Abstract
Background: Urinary lithiasis is a frequent and recurrent disease. Extracts of Chrysanthellum afroamericanum are said to possess anti-lithiasis effects.
Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of an herbal tea made up with dried whole plants of Chrysanthellum afroamericanum in the treatment of crystalluria and urinary lithiasis.
Methods: This was an interventional study conducted at the District Hospital of Tanguieta in Benin from 1 February to 31 August 2021. Patients with crystalluria discovered in urine sediments were included by exhaustive census. Before the beginning of the treatment, an ultrasound of the urinary tract was performed on all patients. For 90 days, each patient consumed, while taking their meal, two daily intakes of a decoction made of 7.5g of dry whole plant powder of Chrysanthellum afroamericanum in 750 ml of warm water for 45kg ≤ body weight < 60kg or 10 g of dry whole plant powder of Chrysanthellum afroamericanum in 1000 ml of warm water for a body weight ≥ 60 kg. A clinical, ultrasonographic and urine-sedimentary monitoring was performed in the studied individuals every 30 days.
Results: The hospital incidence of crystalluria was 6.27%. The crystalline species found were calcium oxalate dihydrate (42.65%) and monohydrate (30.88%), uric acid dihydrate (16.18%) and amorphous (7.35%), calcium phosphate (8.82%), triple phosphate (10.29%) and cholesterol (1.47%). Several socio-economic, pathological, and urinary factors were associated with crystalluria. In the individuals who had fully completed the study, the average abundance of crystalluria had decreased from 2.84 ± 0.585 (moderate) before the start of treatment to 0.34 ± 0.295 (rare) at the first control and then to 0.008 ± 0.007 (rare) at the second control and had nullified at the third control. After 3 months of treatment, 31.18% of patients with urolithiasis had eliminated their stones.
Conclusion: A twice-daily consumption of whole dry plant tea of Chrysanthellum afroamericanum through 90 days has suppressed crystalluria and reduced stones’ size in the studied population. Further studies will elucidate its mechanisms.