http://www.herballegacy.com/Thomas_Medicinal.

html

http://scialert.net/qredirect.php?doi=ijp.2011.40.45&linkid=pdf

CHANCA PIEDRA
by Melody Elaine Thomas

THE BENEFITS OF THE USE OF CHANCA PIEDRA

IN HERBAL PREPARATIONS

MEDICINAL QUALITIES OF CHANCA PIEDRA

CHANCA PIEDRA
by Melody Elaine Thomas

This site brought to you by The School of Natural Healing & Christopher Publications

It is little wonder that Chanca Piedra is used for so many purposes in herbal medicine
systems: in clinical research over the years, the plant has demonstrated liver
protective, antilithic (expelling stones), pain-relieving, hypotensive, antispasmodic,
antiviral, antibacterial, diuretic, antimutagenic, and hypoglycemic activities. Since
the 1960’s there has been a growing body of scientific studies published on Chanca
Piedra, to date over 300 studies have been carried out. Indian and Brazilian
research groups were the first to conduct these studies since the plant was
indigenous to their areas, with a long history of use by their inhabitants. The Brazilian
researchers have summarized their research stating, “Pre-clinical and clinical studied
carried out with the extracts and purified compounds from these plants support
most of their reported uses in folk medicine for the treatment of a wide variety of
pathological conditions.”
Kidney, Gall Stones & Cholesterol

Research done in Brazil at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in 1984 on

Chanca Piedra revealed an alkaloid (phyllanthoside) in the leaves and stem with
strong antispasmodic activity. It served as a relaxing agent for smooth muscles and
they concluded that its spasmolytic action probably accounted for the efficacy of
Chanca Piedra in expelling stones
BLE 1. Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities in Phyllanthusspecies.
Species Compound Pharmacological Activity
 P. urinaria, Rutin Anti-inflammatory and
P. niruri, analgesic
P. amarus
P. urinaria B-amyrin Analgesic, antilipoxignease
P. urinaria, Ellagic acid Aldose reductase inhibitor
P. niruri
P. urinaria Geraniin ACE inhibitor, antiallergic,
diuretic hypertensive and
analgesic
P. urinaria, Quercetin, Mitocondrial ATPace
P. niruri Dibencylbutirolactone inhibitor, phosphodiesterase
inhibitor, mutagenic effect in
bacterial, cycloocigenase
inhibitor, analgesic,
phosphorilase and tyrosine
kinase inhibitor,
phopholipase A2 inhibitor
P. niruri Niruside HIV-1 Reverse transcriptase
inhibitor
P. niruri Repandusinic acid A, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase
Phillanthin, Hypophillantin, inhibitor, antihepatoxic,
hirtetralin, triacontanal endothelin antagonists
P. urinaria B-sitosterol, gallic acid, ethyl Analgesic and anti-
ester, & stigmasterol - inflammatory
sitosterol
Alkaloid phyllanthoside Antispasmodic activity
Gallstones and kidney stones are a major health problem in the United States. In fact,
20,000,000 in the U.S. suffer from gallstones and medical doctors treat 600,000 each
year for this condition. With the introduction of Chanca Piedra, health care
practitioners have acquired a powerful plant ally in helping their patients to maintain
optimal kidney, gall bladder, liver, and bladder health. Kidney stones are formed
when urine becomes too concentrated-usually due to chronic dehydration, infection,
various kidney disorders, deficiencies in magnesium, and excess purines or oxalates in
the diet.

Kidney stones form when certain substances, calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate,
magnesium ammonium phosphate, uric acid or cystine-become so concentrated in the
urine that they precipitate out as hard, solid lumps. The main symptom of kidney
stones is pain in the left or right lower back or pelvic area that becomes excruciating
as the stone attempts to leave the kidney through narrow tubes called ureters.

The first notable area of study of Chanca Piedra for kidney stones was conducted in
1990, at the Paulista School of Medicine in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This study was
conducted using humans and rats with kidney stones. They were given a simple tea of
Chanca Piedra for 1-3 months and it was reported that the tea promoted the
elimination of stones. They also reported a significant increase in urine output as well
as sodium and creatine excretion.

In a 1999 study, researchers confirmed that Chanca Piedra has a potent and effective
inhibitory effect on the formation of calcium-oxalate crystals and decreases the size of
existing stones. Not only that, but also this effect was found even at very high levels
of calcium oxalate, which indicates that it might be a useful preventative aid for
people with a history of kidney stones.

In a 2002 in vivo study, researchers seeded the bladders of rats with calcium oxalate
crystals and treated them for 42 days with a water extract of Chanca Piedra. Their
results indicated that Chanca Piedra strongly inhibited the growth and number of
stones formed over the control group. Several of the animals even passed the stones
that did form. More recently (in 2003), scientists studied the inhibition of calcium
oxalate crystal formation in urine samples to which sodium oxalate had been added.
These researchers again confirmed in vitrothat Chanca Piedra could help prevent the
formation of kidney stones stating, “…that it may interfere with the early stages of
stone formation and may represent an alternative form of treatment and/or prevention
of urolithiasis.”

Chanca Piedra is also used in herbal medicine for gallstones and one study indicates
that Chanca Piedra has an effect on gallbladder processes. Gallstones form when
cholesterol and bile pigments become so concentrated that they form lumps inside the
gallbladder. These lumps may be as small as a pinhead or as large as a golf
ball. Gallstones that remain in the gallbladder rarely cause symptoms. But you can
expect major problems if a stone blocks either the cystic duct (the tube that leads from
the gallbladder to the bile duct) or the bile duct (the tube running from the liver and
gallbladder into the intestine). In a 2002 study, Indian researchers reported that
Chanca Piedra increased bile acid secretion in the gallbladder and significantly
lowered blood cholesterol levels in rats. The beneficial effects of lowering cholesterol
and triglyceride levels was also confirmed by another in vivo (rat) study in 1985.

Dr. Wolfram Wiemann of Nuremburg, Germany has used Chanca Piedra in his
medical practice in Germany. He reported 94% of all the cases he encountered among
his patients of gallstones and kidney stones were “completely eliminated” within one
or two weeks. Another Amazon physician interviewed by Nicole Maxwell, about the
use of Chanca Piedra for his patients said that the plant worked 100% of the time
without any side effects. While not characterized as a side effect, it is noted that for
several hours during the actual process of elimination of the stones, some patients
experienced stomach cramps.
In France, Chanca Piedra has been used for some time to treat gall and kidney
stones. It is part of a pharmaceutical product called Pilosuryl, which is sold as a
diuretic.

Antinociceptive Effects

Brazilian researchers have also discovered powerful, long-lasting pain-blocking

activity in the roots, stems and leaves of several different species of Phyllanthus,
including P. niruri. In a book called “Cat’s Claw: Healing Vine of Peru”, Kenneth
Jones, in a section of the book devoted to Chanca Piedra, states:

“In the test system used, the extract of Phyllanthus urinaria showed
about four times more potent activity than indomethacin and three times
the strength of morphine against the second phase of pain which models
the stage of “inflammatory” pain. The pain model used in these tests
(formalin-induced persistent pain) appears to provide a state similar to
that of post-operative pain in people…the pain blockers
in Phyllanthus have been identified by the Brazilians as gallic acid, ethyl
ester and the steroidal compounds as beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol.”

Calixto, et al. have pointed out that different kinds of compounds isolated from plants
belonging to the genus Phyllanthus, eg., flavonoids such as quercetin and rutin,
tannins, such as geraniin and furosin, benzenoids, such as ethyl gallate and methyl
gallate, and the phytosterols, exhibited antinocieptive effects in mice. With so many
different pain-relieving active compounds present in these plants, the Brazilian
researchers have indicated the possibility of the existence of synergistic effects
between some molecules present in the extracts, and suggest future investigations of
such effects.

Diuretic, Hypotensive, and Hypoglycemic

The diuretic, hypotensive and hypoglycemic effects of Phyllanthus niruri were

documented in a 1995 human study. Indian researchers gave human subjects with
high blood pressure Chanca Piedra leaf powder in capsules and reported a significant
reduction in systolic blood pressure, a significant increase in urine volume and sodium
excretion. Chanca Piedra’s diuretic effect in humans was recorded as far back as
1929 and, in India a tablet of Chanca Piedra is sold as a diuretic there. This significant
diuretic effect, and a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure in non-diabetic
hypertensive individuals were attributed to a specific phytochemical in Chanca Piedra
called geraniin in a 1988 study. In the above 1995 study, researchers also reported that
blood sugar levels were reduced significantly in human subjects studied, with blood
glucose in diabetic patients taking Chanca Piedra for 10 days.

Two other studies with rabbits and rats document the hypoglycemic effect of Chanca
Piedra in diabetic animals. In dealing with diabetic neuropathy and macular
degeneration, a study documented Chanca Piedra with aldose reductase inhibition
(ARI) properties. Aldose reductases are substances that act on nerve endings exposed
to high blood sugar concentration, resulting in neuropathy and macular
degeneration. Substances that inhibit these substances can prevent some of the
chemical imbalances that occur and thus protect the nerve. This ARI effect of Chanca
Piedra was attributed, in part, to a plant chemical called ellagic acid. This well-
studied plant chemical has been documented with many other beneficial effects in
over 300 clinical studies. It is also considered an immune system stimulator.

Hepatitis

Of particular note, break-stone gained worldwide attention in the late 1980’s due to
the plant’s antiviral activity against Hepatitis B. Preliminary clinical trials with P.
niruri on children with infective hepatitis using an Indian drug containing Phyllanthus
amarus as the main ingredient showed promising results, which fueled the subsequent
in vitro and in vivo studies. The in vitro inactivation of Hepatitis B by break-stone
was reported in India in 1982. A study that followed indicated that in vivo, break-
stone eliminated hepatitis B in mammals within 3-6 weeks. Several subsequent
studies in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s failed to produce any effect against
hepatitis, but other research conducted form 1990 to 1995 has indicated that Chanca
Piedra does demonstrate antiviral activity against Hepatitis B.

Phyllanthus niruri / amarus is considered, based on accumulated research, as the most

effective natural, non-toxic remedy for the Hepatitis B virus, a pathogen now carried
by more than 350 million people in the world. Statistics on HBV are staggering: one
out of every 250 Americans is an HBV carrier! The Center for Disease Control
(CDC) estimates that 73,000 new U.S. cases of HBV infection per year are added to
the current estimate of 1.25 million carriers in the U.S. In the U.S., the CDC also
reports that 3,000-4,000 annual deaths from cirrhosis and 1,000 deaths from liver
cancer are HBV-related. Hepatitis B is not only disabling in its acute phase, but it can
remain in the body and contribute decades later to the development of liver
cancer. Liver cancer to date is reported to be 100% fatal.

Many people who contract HBV become chronic (and, often, asymptomatic) carriers
of the disease while still being contagious to others. HBV is reported to be 100 times
more infectious than HIV, and, like HIV, is transmitted through blood transfusions,
needles, sexual contact, and in utero (from mother to child in the womb).

In 1988, Dr. Baruch Blumberg reported that Chanca Piedra could clear up the chronic
carrier state of Hepatitis B. This was big news for Herbalists as Dr. Blumberg was the
winner of the 1963 Nobel Prize for discovering the HBV antigen. This led to the
discovery that HBV was the primary cause of liver cancer and initiated the
development of HBV vaccines. Most of Blumberg’s early research on Chanca Piedra
was carried out in India in collaboration with an Indian research group. Blumberg was
employed with the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, and it was with this
group and the Indian research group that filed two patents on the plant’s ability to
treat HBV and its antiviral properties in 1985 and1988. The fist patent was specific to
HBV; the second stated that the plant’s antiviral properties were achieved in part
through a strong inhibition of reverse trancriptase, necessary for many types of viruses
to grow. This made it possible to treat such retroviruses as HIV, sarcoma and
leukemia viruses. Their first human study reported that a water extract of Phyllantus
amarusand niruri cleared the HBV surface antigen from 22 of 37 chronic HBV
patients in only 30 days and continued to test negative for nine months. This same
group had published several earlier in vitro studies as well as animal studies. They
chose to use woodchucks in the animal tests because woodchucks respond to chronic
HBV infection in much the same manner as do humans. All reported similar and
effective anti-HBV effects.

After these studies, at the Fox Chase Cancer Center, they asked the question: Could an
herbal medicine help? Since it was at this research center where a massive search of
the world’s herbal literature was initiated for plants used against jaundice (acute
hepatitis) and other liver diseases and Phyllanthus turned up as one of the most
promising. The hope for Phyllanthusis to provide an abundantly available nontoxic
alternative not only to treat the disease, but ideally to render carriers Sero-negative for
the virus so they won’t pass it on to others. Combined with vaccines, Phyllanthus, or
perhaps other herbs combined, might make a significant contribution to the
eradication of viral hepatitis.

Research in Japan and India in the 1980’s has demonstrated the liver-healing
properties of Chanca Piedra. The primary compounds responsible are phyllanthin,
hypophyllanthin and triacontanal. Glycosides found in Chanca Piedra demonstrated
aldose reductase (AR) inhibitory activity in studies conducted by a Japanese research
group in 1988 and 1989.

HIV
The most recent research on break-stone reveals that its antiviral activity extends to
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A Japanese research group
discovered Phyllanthus niruri’sHIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibition properties in
1992 with a simple water extract of the plant. Scientists from Bristol-Myers Squibb’s
Pharmaceutical Research Institute isolated at least one of the constituents in the plant
responsible for this activity—a novel compound that they named “niruside” and
described in a 1996 study. A German research organization published their first study
on Chanca Piedra and its application with HIV therapy (reporting a 70-75% inhibition
of virus) in 2003.

Arthritis

Preliminary studies in chronic arthritis indicate a clear anti-inflammatory activity,

anti-tumoral effects in mice have been detected and there are some evidences that
relate this property to one of its phytochemicals: dibencylbutirolactone.
\
Anticancer

In several animal studies (as well as within cell cultures), extracts of Chanca Piedra
have stopped or inhibited cells (including liver cells) from mutating in the presence of
chemical substances known to create cellular mutations and DNA strand breaks
(which can lead to the creation of cancerous cells). It may well be that Chanca
Piedra’s documented ability to stop cells from mutating plays an important factor in
this reported anticancerous activity. Again, one of these studies indicated that Chanca
Piedra inhibited several enzyme processes peculiar to cancer cells replication and
growth-rather than a direct toxic effect of killing the cancer cell (sarcoma, carcinoma,
and lymphoma cells were studied). This cellular-protective quality was evidenced in
other research, which indicated that Chanca Piedra protected against chemically
induced bone marrow damage in mice, as well as against radiation-induced damage in
mice.

Future Studies

Researchers have suggested that another promising area for future study would be the
use of Chanca Piedra in treatment of Lyme’s Disease. Since syphilis is caused by a
spirochete and Chanca Piedra has traditionally been used for this illness, it would be a
good study for the epidemic of Lyme’s Disease, which we are experiencing the
northeastern United States, since Lyme’s is also caused by a spirochete. Some
herbalists have used Chanca Piedra traditionally for gonorrhea and syphilis.

Chanca Piedra is a perfect example of a highly beneficial medicinal plant, which is

deserving of much more research. Unfortunately, because of its complicated myriad
of chemical constituents, there isn’t enough grant monies available. Major funding
would have to be had for a pharmaceutical or research company to isolate a single,
patentable chemical to justify the high cost of research.