title: The most potent antilithiatic agent ameliorating renal dysfunction and oxidative stress from Bergenia ligulata rhizome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The rhizome of Bergenia ligulata is referred by the Ayurvedic system for the treatment of kidney stone since decades and a few, in vitro and in vivo studies also support it. To identify the main phytochemical constituent(s) responsible for antilithiatic activity of its rhizome.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to identify the most potent antilithiatic metabolite, the crude extract of rhizome was fractionated using in vitro Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystal growth inhibitory activity guided fractionation followed by its characterization via LC-MS, FTIR and NMR. Further, the antioxidant potential of purified molecule was assessed using in vitro assays (FRAP and H2O2 scavenging). In vivo activity of the metabolite was evaluated in hyperoxaluric rats given 0.4% ethylene glycol (EG) and 1.0% ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) for 9 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Activity guided fractionation led to the isolation of most potent antilithiatic metabolite from the rhizome of Bergenia ligulata and spectroscopic analysis revealed it as bergenin. Bergenin showed reducing ability and H2O2 scavenging activity comparable with commercially available anitioxidant, α-tocopherol. At a dose of 10mg/kg body weight of the treated rat, it protected against deleterious effects of lithogenic treatment including weight loss, impaired renal function and oxidative stress, manifested as increased malondialdehyde, reduced redox ratio and decreased antioxidant enzyme activities in the kidneys of hyperoxaluric rats. The creatinine clearance and kidney damage were more improved by bergenin as compared to crude extract of rhizome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since, bergenin maintained oxidant/antioxidant balance in hyperoxaluric rats, thus mechanistic insight of its antilithiatic activity was attributed to the antioxidant capability of bergenin. The results of the present study provide significant evidence that bergenin is an active component present in the rhizome of Bergenia ligulata for managing CaOx calculi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Deepika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaushal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Tanzeer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Hypertension and Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 15, Bern 3010, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rakesh Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Bijarnia
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India; Biotechnology Branch, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India. Electronic address: singla1951@pu.ac.in.
authors.forename: Surinder Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Singla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000378:metabolism; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D006959:Hyperoxaluria / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D016877:Oxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D027343:Rhizome; D031995:Saxifragaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016877:Oxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002129:Calcium Oxalate; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol
keywords: Antilithiatic; Antioxidant; Bergenia ligulata; Hyperoxaluria; Renal calculi