Effect of Blumea Balsamifera Extract on the Kinetics of Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate (COM) Dissolution

Abstract

Blumea balsamifera is a commercially available herbal drug that has anti-urolithic and diuretic properties. This study quantifies the effect of B. balsamifera extract on the dissolution kinetics of Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate (COM) crystals by modeling the dissolution of Ca2+. COM dissolution follows a first-order diffusion-controlled process. The extract did not change the dissolution phenomena. At 10 ppm, the extract had no significant effect on the rate constant (P = 0.166) and surface concentration (P = 0.372). Increasing the extract to 20 ppm did not change the dissolution phenomena and model parameters. The extract significantly decreases the equilibrium Ca2+ concentration with P = 0.0010 and P = 0.0179 at 10 and 20 ppm of extract, respectively. B. balsamifera extract binds free Ca2+ in the synthetic urine. This increases the amount of Ca2+ that dissolves but does not significantly increase the rate of dissolution suggesting that urine volume is more important for COM stone dissolution.