The mechanistic insight of polyphenols in calcium oxalate urolithiasis mitigation

About 12% of world population is affected by different forms of urolithiasis of which the recurrence rate in female is 47-60% and in male is 70-80%. Standard therapeutic agents (allopurinol, citrate, cystone and thiazide diuretics) are used to prevent and treat urolithiasis but these are not universally-effective due to common kidney stone relapse and other side effects. Surgical treatment causes long-term renal damage, hypertension and stone recurrence. Polyphenols, the plant-derived bioactive molecules, have showed protection against cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis and neurodegenerative diseases, among a number of other ailments. The role of these phytochemicals in urolithiasis management is emerging. Hence, the present review discusses peer-reviewed published literature till date on this aspect and highlights that polyphenols could effectively inhibit the formation of calcium oxalate urinary stones (most common renal stone), correlating with their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition. Further, we have proposed the prospects and challenges in developing the plant polyphenols into drugs against kidney stone prevention. This review might be a stepping stone for further investigation into the clinical implications of the polyphenols in urolithiasis remediation.