Planta Med 2006; 72(14): 1262-1267
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-947224
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Antihyperuricemic Lignans from the Leaves of Phyllanthus niruri

Vikneswaran Murugaiyah1 , Kit-Lam Chan1
  • 1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Further Information

Publication History

Received: April 6, 2006

Accepted: July 11, 2006

Publication Date:
01 September 2006 (online)

Abstract

The methanol extract from the leaves of Phyllanthus niruri L. showed oral antihyperuricemic activity in potassium oxonate- and uric acid-induced hyperuricemic rats. Fractionation of the extract by resin chromatography led to the isolation of a less polar fraction which exhibited the highest reduction of plasma uric acid. Further antihyperuricemic-guided purification of the fraction afforded three lignans, phyllanthin (1), hypophyllanthin (2) and phyltetralin (3), of which 1 significantly reversed the plasma uric acid level of hyperuricemic animals to its normal level in a dose-dependent manner, comparable to that of allopurinol, benzbromarone and probenecid which are used clinically for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. Thus, the lignans of P. niruri are potential antihyperuricemic agents worthy of further investigation.

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Prof. Dr. Kit-Lam Chan

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Universiti Sains Malaysia

11800 Minden

Penang

Malaysia

Phone: +60-4-653-3888 ext. 2696

Fax: +60-4-657-6836

Email: klchan@usm.my