Diuretic and Antiurolithiatic activities of Saccharum officinarum

The present work was investigated to evaluate the diuretic and antiurolithiatic activities on leaf extract of Saccharum officinarum. The leaf extract was administered to experimental rats orally at a dose of 200mg/ kg and 400mg/kg. Furosemide (5mg/kg) was used as standard for diuretic activity. The parameters measured for diuretic activity was total urine volume; urine electrolyte concentrations such as sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonates. In in-vitro antiurolithiatic activity, Calcium oxalate crystallization was induced by the addition of 0.01M sodium oxalate solutions in synthetic urine. The effect of extract (100, 200 and 500μg/ml) was studied by time course measurement of absorbance at 620 nm for ten minutes by means of a spectrophotometer. The extract showed inhibition at 120 sec (40.31, 60.46 and 63.56 %), and maximum inhibition of the crystallization of calcium oxalate at 600 seconds (55.24, 69.93 and 72.72%). In in-vivo antiurolithiatic activity, urolithiasis was induced in male rats by administering ethylene glycol (0.75% v/v) in drinking water for 28days and the parameters such as oxalate, calcium and phosphate were estimated.