Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part B (2024)

Within the framework of holistic medicine, phytotherapy is a growing medical modality that treats whole patients by using whole plants. It is a science as well as an art. Despite having historical roots, it is still significant and relevant today and has a lot of potential to advance modern medicine. Urolithiasis is a common condition affecting many parts of the world, with a peak prevalence of 5-10% in western societies. The results of the in vitro studies clearly concluded that the Cichorium intybus ethanolic extract or sample EELCC possess good anti-urolithiatic activity. The Cichorium intybus ethanolic extract or sample EELCC possessed greater inhibition of nucleation, aggregation, and boosting the dissolution rate of calcium oxalate crystals. The IC₅₀ and dissolution rate of both EELCC and Cystone at a concentration of 1000 and 100 (dissolution method) μg/mL were almost in similar range. Comparatively EELCC has shown most promising effect of anti- urolithiatic activity at a concentration of 1000 and 100 (dissolution method) μg/mL. According to the OECD guidelines 423 and 425, Cichorium intybus EELCC was deemed to be safe as they did not exhibit any mortality, lethality, or toxic response up to 2000 mg/kg. The outcome of anti-urolithiatic activity by ethylene glycol (ethane-1, 2-diol) induced model evidently revealed a greater significance (p< 0.01) by preventing the reduction in body weight, an increase in urinary volume, intercepting the shift of pH from alkaline to acidic, restraining an increase in the kidney weight, reverting the alterations of serum and urinary markers and restoring them to near normal value after treatment with the test ethanolic extract of Cichorium intybus.