Common Name:

General Information

Phyllanthus urinaria is an erect or sprawling, annual or short-lived perennial plant growing up to 80cm tall[]. The main stem is much branched at its base[].
The plant is a popular herbal remedy, available for sale on the internet. It is not cultivated, but is commonly gathered from the wild.

Known Hazards

The crushed plant is used as a fish poison[].

Botanical References

Range

Perhaps only native in tropical and subtropical Asia, but now also found in tropical America, west Africa and Australia.

Habitat

Dry fields, roadsides, wastelands, forest margins; at elevations of 100 - 600 metres in China[]. common weed of waste places, clearings, gardens, along paths, but is also found in evergreen forest and bamboo forest; to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows in the wild on well-drained, fertile, sandy soils, sometimes on limestone, often in humid places or even in marshy ground[].
The plant has spread as a weed throughout the tropics[]. It is a prolific seed producer. The seeds can remain dormant for an extended period of time. They germinate massively during the rainy season and the seedlings are very fast growing[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Phyllanthus urinaria is a popular traditional herbal remedy, commonly used in the areas where it is native and also sold on the Internet. There have been many investigations into its medicinal virtues and several active compounds have been found including lignans, ellagitannins, terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and waxes[].
The plant has been shown to inhibit in-vitro DNA polymerase of the hepatitis B virus and other hepatitis-DNA-viruses, such as the woodchuck hepatitis virus[].
Aqueous extracts have significant antiviral effects and a protective effect on liver cells[]. Ellagic acid, isolated from the plant, has shown significant antihepatotoxic activity[]. Triacontanol showed hepatoprotective properties[].
An acetone extract of the plant was found to suppress herpes simplex virus (HSV)[].
Derivatives of corilagin showed inhibitory activity against Epstein-Barr virus DNA polymerase[].
A water extract of the plant induced apoptosis and significantly decreased the number of Lewis lung carcinoma cells and human myeloid leukaemia cells (HL-60 cells) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. It did not exert any cytotoxic effect on normal cells[]. The oral administration of an aqueous alcohol extract to mice caused significant inhibition of tumour development, without toxic effects[].
A plant extract containing corilagin showed significant anti-thrombosis activity[]. It did not cause serious bleeding side effect as compared with aspirin or urokinase[].
A methanol extract showed significant antioxidant activity in vitro[]. A correlation between the antioxidant activity and several phenolic compounds, ellagitannins and flavonoids, was observed[].
Extracts of the plant also showed cardioprotective and antidiabetic effects[].
An aqueous extract showed significant in-vitro antiplasmodial activity against a chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain[].
The n-hexane fraction of an aqueous alcohol extract from leaves, stems and roots exhibited antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Staphylococcus aureus[].

In traditional medicine, the plant is commonly used as an antibacterial, demulcent, diuretic and purgative to treat a wide variety of uro-genital disorders, diarrhoea and diabetes[, ]. It is also used as a bitter tonic and to treat fevers, including malaria[]. In Asia, extracts are widely used against hepatitis B infections[]. A plant decoction is drunk and plant ash in water is applied as ear drops to treat earache[].
Externally, the crushed plant parts, or an infusion, are applied to treat ulcers, sores and tumours[, ].

The sap of leafy twigs, or a twig decoction, is drunk to treat pain in the side[].

A paste of fresh crushed leaves and kaolin in water is drunk and applied to the body to treat convulsions, colic, constipation and urethral discharges[]. The bitter leaves are eaten to treat hiccup and cough[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - requires light to germinate[]. A germination rate of up to 80% was observed at temperatures of 25 - 35°c, but germination was poor at 20°c or 40°c. Germination of seed is also poor under moisture stress conditions[]. Stratification significantly improved the germination of the seeds[].

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