Evaluation of the Antiurolithiatic Activity of the Extract of Boswellia serrata Roxb in Rats

Abstract

In rats' urinary bladders, the antiurolithiatic action of a methanolic extract of Boswellia serrata Roxb (root) was examined on the development of calculi on calcium oxalate crystal implants or zinc disc implants. The plant is a member of the Burseraceous family, and it has long been used as a folk remedy for urinary issues and stone removal. When a foreign body was present in the urinary bladder of adult rats, it caused urinary stones and smooth muscle hypertrophy. After 4 weeks after surgery, oral therapy with Boswellia serrata Roxb extract (0.25 and 0.5 g/kg per day) decreased calculi development but did not prevent smooth muscle growth. In the presence and absence of the extract (0.3–3 mg/ml) or atropine (0.3–3 nM), the contractile responses of isolated urinary bladder preparations to the muscarinic agonist bethanecol were not different among the experimental groups.