Herbs from Iranian Traditional Medicine for Reinforcement of Kidney and Prevention of Renal Atrophy

Renal disorders including renal failure are common complications which affect the whole body system. The treatment methods in modern medicine seem to be inadequate in a large number of cases. Regarding the increasing interest of the community towards traditional and complementary medicine, the potential of Persian medicine (PM) in management of renal diseases, could be put to test in research programs in order to find possible effective treatment.
The aim of this study is to introduce materia medica which are commonly used in PM for the purpose of protection and functional empowerment of the kidneys against destructive factors.
This research is a literature-based study on effective material medica used in the treatment of two significant renal disorders; renal weakness and renal atrophy (Hozal). Six pharmaceutical references of Persian medicine from different historical periods were searched by certain keywords related to renal weakness and renal atrophy.
Fourteen materia medica related to the prevention or treatment of renal weakness and fifteen for renal atrophy were found. Poppy (Papaver somniferum), Amber and shellac are the most repeated medicines in the treatment of renal weakness; whereas fig (ficus carica), banana (musa sapientum) and hazelnut (corynus avelana) are mostly repeated for either prevention or treatment of renal atrophy.
Medicinal plants represented by Persian medicine references could be a basis for experimental and clinical researches for drug development in the field of prevention or even treatment of acute or chronic renal failure.