Because they control waste elimination, electrolyte composition, and fluid balance, kidneys are essential for preserving homeostasis. Acute and chronic kidney illnesses are largely caused by exposure to nephrotoxic substances, including medicines, environmental pollutants, and metabolic abnormalities. With a growing reliance on dialysis and a scarcity of kidney transplants, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing both globally and in India. Despite their effectiveness, conventional treatments can have negative side effects and are expensive. Because of their long history of traditional use, affordability, and safety, herbal and plant-based medicines are gaining popularity. This review thoroughly identifies medicinal plants that have been shown to have nephroprotective potential against kidney damage caused by drugs and toxins. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and free radical scavenging mechanisms are the main ways that plants like Allium sativum, Aloe vera, Azadirachta indica, Curcuma longa, Ginkgo biloba, Withania somnifera, and several others have nephroprotective benefits. Flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, polyphenols, terpenoids, and glycosides are among the phytoconstituents that are accountable. The function of these medicinal herbs in maintaining renal structure and function is firmly supported by experimental and preclinical data. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of nephroprotective plants and encourages more research into them in order to create safer and more potent renal protective medicines.
| Published in | International Journal of Clinical Urology (Volume 10, Issue 1) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijcu.20261001.16 |
| Page(s) | 28-34 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Herbal Therapy, Antioxidants, Chronic Renal Disease, Medicinal Herbs, Nephrotoxicity, Nephroprotection Protection of the Kidneys, Phytochemicals
S. No. | Plant Name (Family) | Part used | Vernacular name | Major Chemical constituents | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Allium sativum (Amaryllidaceae) | Bulb | Garlic | Allinase, allin, allicin, ajoene, S-allylcysteine | Michal Majawaski. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 2014 |
2. | Aloe vera (Xanthorrhoeaceae) | Pulp of plant | Aloe | Aloin | A feily et al. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2009 |
3. | Annona reticulata (Annonaceae) | Leaves | Custard apple | Phenol, steroid, tannin, annonaretin A. | Prasad G. Jamkhande and Amruta S. Wattamwar. |
4. | Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae) | Stem, bark, leaves | Neem | Aadirachtin, nimbolide | R Subapriya et al Curr Med Chen Anticancer Agents. 2005 mar |
5. | Bacopa monnieri (Scrophulariaceae) | Leaves | Brahmi | Brahmine, bacoside A, bacoside B, essential oil | Venkatakrishnan Kamesh et al. Pharmbiol. 2014 |
6. | Celastrus paniculatus wild (Celastraceae) | Seed | Jyotishmati | Cinnamic acid, flavonoid, terpenoid (amyrin, lupeol), sterol | Mohd. Aleem. J complement Inegr Med. 2021 |
7. | Centella asiatica (Apiaceae) | Herb | Gotukola, Indian Pennywort | Asiaticoside, asiatic acid, madecassic acid, | Chandrika, UG, et al 2015 |
8. | Coriandrum sativum L. (Umbelliferae) | Leaves, fruits | Dhaniya | Flavonid, glycoside, fixed oil, linalool, geraniol, α-pinene | Abhijeet Lkhera et al. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2015 jun |
9. | Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae) | Rhizome | Turmeric | Curcumin, terpenoid | Venkatesan et al. 2000 |
10. | Foeniculum vulgare (Apiaceae) | Seed, root | Fennel, Saunf | Inulin, coumarins, umbeliferone, esculetin, scopoletin | Barun Das et al. PloS One. 2022 |
11. | Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) | Leaves | Maiden hair tree | Ginkgolides A, B, C | Bruce J Diamond et al. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2013 |
12. | Glycyrrhiza glabra (Fabaceae) | Root | Licorice | Glycyrrhizin, glabridin, liquiritin | Iranian Journal of basic medical Sciences, 2022 |
13. | Jwarish Zarooni Sada (Cucurbitceae) | Leaves, seed like fruit | Ajwain | Thymol, linoleic acid, oleic acid, p-cymene, xylene, palmitic acid | Gurdip Singh et al. J Agric Food chem. 2004 |
14. | Mentha piperita (Lamiaceae) | Fresh and dried leaves | Spearmint, Peppermint, Gardenmint | Carvone, limonene, 1, 8 cineole | Ganesan Mahendran et al. J Ethanopharmacol, 1987 |
15. | Musa sapientum (Musaceae) | Rhizome, pulp of fruit | Banana | Vitamin B & C, fructose, starch | K Mukhopadhyaya et al. J Ethanopharmacol, 1987 |
16. | Ocimum sanctum (Lamiaceae) | Root, leaves | Tulsi | Eugenol, ether, methanol, carbacol | P Prakash et al. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005 |
17. | Picrorhiza kurroa (Plantaginaceae/ Scrofulariaceae) | Leaves | Kutki, Katuka | Kutkoside, picroside I | Praveen C Verma et al. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2009 |
18. | Punica granatum (Lythraceae) | Peel of fruit | Pomegranate | Ellagic acid, punicalin, punicalagin | Erfanesg Shaygannia et al. J Evid Based Complementary Altern med. 2016 |
19. | Tamarindus indica (Fabaceae) | Seed | Tamarind, Imli | Flavone, vitexin, C-glycosidesorirntin, lauric acid, stearic acid | Sushant S Sole et al. Pharm Biol. 2013 |
20. | Trichosanthes dioica (Cucurbitaceae) | Leaves | Parmal, Parwal | Vitamin A & C, tannins, saponins | Nitin Kumar et al. Pharmacogn Rev. 2012 |
21. | Withania somnifera (Solanaceae) | Leaves | Ashwagandha | Alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, reducing sugar | Thangavel Jeyanthi et al. Ren fail. 2009 |
CKD | Chronic Kidney Disease |
PCOS | Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome |
TLE | Trichosanthes Dioica Leave Extract |
SOD | Superoxide Dismutase |
BUN | Blood Urea Nitrogen |
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APA Style
Kumar, M., Kumar, P., Piplani, M. (2026). A Comprehensive Review on Nephroprotective Activity of the Potential of Indian Traditional Medicinal Plants. International Journal of Clinical Urology, 10(1), 28-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcu.20261001.16
ACS Style
Kumar, M.; Kumar, P.; Piplani, M. A Comprehensive Review on Nephroprotective Activity of the Potential of Indian Traditional Medicinal Plants. Int. J. Clin. Urol. 2026, 10(1), 28-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcu.20261001.16
@article{10.11648/j.ijcu.20261001.16,
author = {Mudit Kumar and Pushpendra Kumar and Mona Piplani},
title = {A Comprehensive Review on Nephroprotective Activity of the Potential of Indian Traditional Medicinal Plants},
journal = {International Journal of Clinical Urology},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {28-34},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijcu.20261001.16},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcu.20261001.16},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcu.20261001.16},
abstract = {Because they control waste elimination, electrolyte composition, and fluid balance, kidneys are essential for preserving homeostasis. Acute and chronic kidney illnesses are largely caused by exposure to nephrotoxic substances, including medicines, environmental pollutants, and metabolic abnormalities. With a growing reliance on dialysis and a scarcity of kidney transplants, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing both globally and in India. Despite their effectiveness, conventional treatments can have negative side effects and are expensive. Because of their long history of traditional use, affordability, and safety, herbal and plant-based medicines are gaining popularity. This review thoroughly identifies medicinal plants that have been shown to have nephroprotective potential against kidney damage caused by drugs and toxins. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and free radical scavenging mechanisms are the main ways that plants like Allium sativum, Aloe vera, Azadirachta indica, Curcuma longa, Ginkgo biloba, Withania somnifera, and several others have nephroprotective benefits. Flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, polyphenols, terpenoids, and glycosides are among the phytoconstituents that are accountable. The function of these medicinal herbs in maintaining renal structure and function is firmly supported by experimental and preclinical data. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of nephroprotective plants and encourages more research into them in order to create safer and more potent renal protective medicines.},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - A Comprehensive Review on Nephroprotective Activity of the Potential of Indian Traditional Medicinal Plants AU - Mudit Kumar AU - Pushpendra Kumar AU - Mona Piplani Y1 - 2026/02/27 PY - 2026 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcu.20261001.16 DO - 10.11648/j.ijcu.20261001.16 T2 - International Journal of Clinical Urology JF - International Journal of Clinical Urology JO - International Journal of Clinical Urology SP - 28 EP - 34 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2640-1355 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcu.20261001.16 AB - Because they control waste elimination, electrolyte composition, and fluid balance, kidneys are essential for preserving homeostasis. Acute and chronic kidney illnesses are largely caused by exposure to nephrotoxic substances, including medicines, environmental pollutants, and metabolic abnormalities. With a growing reliance on dialysis and a scarcity of kidney transplants, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing both globally and in India. Despite their effectiveness, conventional treatments can have negative side effects and are expensive. Because of their long history of traditional use, affordability, and safety, herbal and plant-based medicines are gaining popularity. This review thoroughly identifies medicinal plants that have been shown to have nephroprotective potential against kidney damage caused by drugs and toxins. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and free radical scavenging mechanisms are the main ways that plants like Allium sativum, Aloe vera, Azadirachta indica, Curcuma longa, Ginkgo biloba, Withania somnifera, and several others have nephroprotective benefits. Flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, polyphenols, terpenoids, and glycosides are among the phytoconstituents that are accountable. The function of these medicinal herbs in maintaining renal structure and function is firmly supported by experimental and preclinical data. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of nephroprotective plants and encourages more research into them in order to create safer and more potent renal protective medicines. VL - 10 IS - 1 ER -