History of Chanca Piedra

A great variety of species of plants belonging to the genus Phyllanthus have been phytochemically and pharmacologically investigated and many molecules have been isolated and identified. In this context, different classes of organic compounds of medicinal interest have been reported, including alkaloids, flavonoids, lactones, steroids, terpenoids, lignans, tannins, and so forth (see Table 1). However, it should be noted that lignans, triterpenes, alkaloids, and tannins are the most abundant compounds so far determined in this genus. Among all studied species, P. niruri, P. urinaria, P. emblica, P. fexuosus, P. amarus, and P. sellowianus have received more phytochemical attention. Although most of these compounds are chemically known, their complete pharmacological properties remain, in general, undetermined.

Many of the “active” constituents are attributed to biologically active lignans, glycosides, flavonoids, alkaloids, ellagitannins, and phenylpropanoids found in the leaf, stem, and root of the plant. The main plant chemicals in Chanca Piedra include:

Lignanes: phyllanthine, hypophyllanthine, phyltetralin, lintetralin, niranthin, nirtetralin, nirphylline, nirurin, niruriside.

Terpenes: Cymene, limonene, lupeol and lupeol acetate.

Flavonoids: Quercetin, Quercitrin, Isoquercitrin, astragalin, rutin, physetinglucoside.

Lipids: Ricinoleic acid, dotriancontanoic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid.

Benzenoids: Methylsalicilate ethyl gallate, methyl gallate.

Alkaloids: Norsecurinine, 4-metoxy-Norsecurinine, entnorsecurinina, nirurine, phyllantin, phyllochrysine.

Steroids: Beta-sitosterol.

Alcanes: Triacontanal, Triacontanol.

Others: Vitamin C, tanines, saponins.

Selected compounds with known pharmacological activities, which have been isolated from Phyllanthus species, are listed in Table 1.