Therapeutic potential of seaweeds and their biofabricated nanoparticles in treating urolithiasis: A review

Abstract

Urolithiasis affects a significant portion of the global population, causing discomfort and pain. Unfortunately, effective drugs to treat this disorder are currently unavailable due to multiple mechanisms and an incomplete understanding of its causes. Consequently, drugs with multiple targets could be a safer and more effective remedy for treating urolithiasis. Moreover, the current treatment options are expensive and come with a risk of complications and stone recurrence. Therefore, an alternative treatment that can prevent stone recurrence and reduce associated symptoms is necessary. Seaweeds are a rich source of beneficial metabolites, like antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and enzyme-inhibitory properties. Advances in nanotechnology hold great promise for improving the therapeutic potential of these metabolites. However, the use of nanoparticles for treating urolithiasis has yet to be explored well, and only a few reports exist on the use of terrestrial plant-based nanoparticles. This review examines the therapeutic properties of seaweed bioactive compounds and their possible applications in treating urolithiasis. We propose that seaweeds could be an excellent source of essential dietary minerals and other bioactive compounds with multiple targets to treat renal calculus naturally. Additionally, the review highlights the potential of nanomedicine in treating urolithiasis, proposing seaweed-based nanoparticles as a promising treatment option.

Keywords: Inflammation; Nanomedicine; Nanoparticles; Oxidative stress; Seaweeds; Urolithiasis.

Fig. 1

Two basic pathways (fixed-particle and free-particle mechanism) of stone formation. (a) Fixed-particle pathway: The crystals deposit in the interstitium, attach to the epithelial lining of the renal tubule, and form nidi for stone formation, (b) free-par particle pathway: The crystals form in the renal tubules travel through the duct of Bellini can grow, aggregate and deposit to the terminal collecting duct (Randall's plug) and become nidi for stone formation [34].

Fig. 2

Mechanism of pathophysiology of urolithiasis.

Fig. 3

Different traits and factors nanoparticles offer for biomedical applications to deliver drug/gene/protein (Created with BioRender.com).

Fig. 4

Seaweed-based AgNps synthesis and its therapeutic applications (Created with BioRender.com).

Fig. 5

The potential antiurolithiatic effects of seaweed-derived bioactive compounds and their biofabricated AgNps (Created with BioRender.com).