Role of Medicinal Herbs in the Development of Renal Adverse Effects: A Review Study

The use of herbal medicines dates back to the beginning of the human history. Today, herbal medicines still play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of disease in many cultures and communities. There are few reports about adverse effects of herbal medicines. This is why many people around the world believe that herbal medicines can't cause adverse effects. They believe plants are safe, even if they're not efficient. This idea is wrong, regardless of how common it might be considered. Plants can be dangerous and even lethal in some cases. It is not just plant chemicals that might cause adverse effects. The role of environmental pollutants and the presence of fraud in form of alternation and adulteration in herbal preparations is another factor that might contribute to harmful effects on various organs of the body, including the kidneys. Kidneys are vital organs that filter blood, remove wastes and excrete the wastes in the urine. They are susceptible to injury because of their high exposure to different chemical substances including chemicals from the herbs. This is why studying the possible adverse effects of herbal medicines on kidney structure and function gets important. This issue highlights the role of regulatory and legislator organizations in providing up-to-date laws to help maintain a better regulation on the production and consumption of herbal products. This article reviews the findings on this case. We used papers published between 1990 and January 2018 in pubmed and google scholar databases.