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Diuretic activity of Smilax canariensis, an endemic Canary Island species

2008; Elsevier BV; Volume: 119; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.jep.2008.05.025

1872-7573

S. Abdala, D. Martín-Herrera, Dora Benjumea, P. Pérez-Paz,

Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna

Smilax canariensis is an endemic species of the Canary Islands, popularly known as “Zarzaparrilla sin espinas”. This species has wide use in folk-medicine practice on the islands, especially as diuretic. So the aim of our study is to evaluate the diuretic activity of an aqueous and a methanol extract of this species. Three infusions doses (250, 500 and 750 mg/kg) and two methanol extract doses (100 and 200 mg/kg) were orally administered to laboratory rats. Water excretion rate, pH, density, conductivity, and content of Na+ and K+ were measured in the urine of saline-loaded rats. Water excretion rates were significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner by both hot water infusions and the alcohol extract. The electrolytic excretion was also dose-dependent, although potassium excretion was markedly reduced when using the alcohol extract compared with that observed for the infusion. Smilax canariensis presents a notable diuretic effect which appeared to be related both to its potassium content and to the presence of polar organic compounds. The present results provide a quantitative basis explaining the traditional folk-medicine use of Smilax canariensis as a diuretic agent by the Canary Island population.