Research article

Lemon juice has protective activity in a rat urolithiasis model

Mohammed Touhami^1,4 , Amine Laroubi¹ , Khadija Elhabazi¹ , Farouk Loubna¹ , Ibtissam Zrara² , Younes Eljahiri³ , Abdelkhalek Oussama⁴ , Félix Grases⁵ and Abderrahman Chait¹

¹Laboratory of Animal Physiology. Ecophysiology Unit. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, University Cadi Ayyad, PO Box 2390, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco

²Laboratory of Anatomopathology, Avicenne Military Hospital, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco

³Laboratory of Biochemistry, Avicenne Military Hospital, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco

⁴Laboratory of Applied and Environmental Chemical Spectroscopy, Urolithiasis Unit, Faculty of Science and Techniques, University Cadi Ayyad, PO Box 523, Beni-Mellal, 23000, Morocco

⁵Laboratorio de Investigación en Litiasis Renal. Edificio Mateu Orfila Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra. de Valldemossa km 7.5, E-07071, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

author email corresponding author email

BMC Urology 2007, 7:18doi:10.1186/1471-2490-7-18

Published:	5 October 2007

Abstract

Background

The use of herbal medicines (medicinal plants or phytotherapy) has recently gained popularity in Europe and the United States. Nevertheless the exact mechanism of the preventive effects of these products is still far to be clearly established, being its knowledge necessary to successfully apply these therapies to avoid stone formation.

Methods

The effect of oral lemon juice administration on calcium oxalate urolithiasis was studied in male Wistar rats. Rats were rendered nephrolithic by providing drinking water containing 0.75% ethylene glycol [v/v] (EG) and 2% ammonium chloride [w/v] (AC) for 10 days. In addition to EG/AC treatment, three groups of rats were also gavage-administered solutions containing 100%, 75% or 50% lemon juice [v/v] (6 μl solution/g body weight). Positive control rats were treated with EG/AC but not lemon juice. Negative control rats were provided with normal drinking water, and were administered normal water by gavage. Each group contained 6 rats. After 10 days, serum samples were collected for analysis, the left kidney was removed and assessed for calcium levels using flame spectroscopy, and the right kidney was sectioned for histopathological analysis using light microscopy.

Results

Analysis showed that the rats treated with EG/AC alone had higher amounts of calcium in the kidneys compared to negative control rats. This EG/AC-induced increase in kidney calcium levels was inhibited by the administration of lemon juice. Histology showed that rats treated with EG/AC alone had large deposits of calcium oxalate crystals in all parts of the kidney, and that such deposits were not present in rats also treated with either 100% or 75% lemon juice.

Conclusion

These data suggest that lemon juice has a protective activity against urolithiasis.