Effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Portulaca pilosa and Achyrocline satureioides on urinary sodium and potassium excretion

Portulaca pilosa has been used in Brazil as a traditional remedy to cause diuresis, antipyresis and analgesia. Achyrocline satureioides has been used in folk medicine as antiinflammatory, hypoglycemic, sedative and to treat gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea and dysentery suggesting that it may affect salt and water reabsorption by the gastrointestinal tract. In the current study, hydroalcoholic extracts of both plants were investigated in order to examine their renal effects. The results support the claim that extracts of P. pilosa present renal effects but not the popular belief that it affects diuresis. It has also been proved that, in rats, it causes an increase in K excretion without a concomitant change in water diuresis or Na excretion. Our findings also support the popular belief that A. satureioides does not apparently have renal effects and it might change renal ion transport based on observations that it affects gastrointestinal reabsorption.