Herbal medicines derived from plant extracts are being progressively more utilized to treat a variety of clinical diseases, though relatively little knowledge about their mode of action is available. There is increasing interest in the health and wellness benefits of herbs and botanicals. This is with good reason as they might offer a natural safeguard against the development of certain conditions and be a putative treatment for some diseases. One such area may be the lowering of blood pressure

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... in those where it is elevated. One class of clinical medicines used to lower blood pressure are known as diuretics and work by increasing the excretion of urine from the body as well as the amount of sodium in urine. There are a growing number of studies purporting diuretic effects with traditional medicines. Any substance that tends to increase the flow of urine, which causes the body to get rid of excess water, is known as diuretic drugs. Substances that induce "diuresis," or the removal of fluids from the body through urination, are considered diuretics. These agents were widely explored in Indian ancient system of medicine. Diuretics increase the rate of urine outflow and sodium excretion and are used to adjust the volume and composition of body fluids in a variety of clinical situations including hypertension, heart failure, renal failure, nephritic syndrome and cirrhosis. The aim of this review is to abridge the work on diuretics of herbal origin.