AEGLE MARMELOS FRUIT EXTRACTS AS NATURAL THERAPEUTICS AGAINST UROLITHIASIS: ANTIOXIDANT AND CRYSTALLIZATION INHIBITION STUDIES

Urolithiasis, commonly known as kidney stone disease, is a global health concern with increasing prevalence, recurrence, and association with systemic complications such as chronic kidney disease and metabolic disorders. Current therapeutic approaches, including surgical interventions and allopathic medications, often present limitations such as invasiveness, side effects, and recurrence. Hence, there is a growing interest in exploring plant-based remedies with fewer adverse effects. The present study investigates the antiurolithiatic and antioxidant potential of Aegle marmelos fruit extracts through phytochemical screening and in vitro evaluation. Successive extraction using solvents of increasing polarity yielded diverse phytoconstituents, with the ethanolic extract showing the richest profile of bioactive compounds including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, tannins, and terpenoids. In vitro antiurolithiatic assays—nucleation, aggregation, crystal growth inhibition, and calcium oxalate dissolution—demonstrated significant, dose-dependent inhibitory activity of the extract, with results approaching those of the standard drug Cystone at higher concentrations.