The Equisetum genus, Equisetaceae family, is widely distributed worldwide and may be the oldest nonextinct genus on Earth. There are about 30 known species, which are very often used in traditional medicine with diverse applications. This review aimed to compile scientific reports about Equisetum species with relevant pharmacological properties and/or therapeutic potential for kidney diseases. Our bibliographic survey demonstrates that the most widespread traditional use of Equisetum is as a diuretic, followed by the treatment of genitourinary diseases (kidney diseases, urethritis, kidney stones, and others), inflammation, wound healing, rheumatic diseases, prostatitis, and hypertension. The most popular species from the Equisetum genus with medicinal use is E. arvense L., whose diuretic effect was confirmed in animal models and clinical trials. The species E. bogotense Kunth also demonstrated the beneficial effect of inducing diuresis in both experimental and clinical assays. Several other species have also been studied regarding their therapeutic potential, showing different biological actions. Regarding the chemical composition, it contains many active constituents, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, phenol, phytosterols, saponins, sterols, silicic acid, tannin, triterpenoids, and volatile oils. However, despite the widespread traditional use, many species need to be explored in detail for scientific validation of popular use. Indeed, the species of the Equisetum genus have great potential in the management of kidney disorders.

中文翻译：

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木贼属（Equisetaceae）的植物化学和药理作用：对肾脏疾病具有治疗潜力的物种的叙事综述

该木贼属，木贼系列，广泛分布在世界各地，可能是地球上最古老nonextinct属。大约有30种已知物种，这些物种经常在传统医学中广泛应用。这篇综述旨在汇编有关木贼属物种的科学报告，这些物种具有相关的药理特性和/或对肾脏疾病的治疗潜力。我们的书目调查表明，木贼属植物最传统的用途是作为利尿剂，其次是泌尿生殖系统疾病（肾脏疾病，尿道炎，肾结石等），炎症，伤口愈合，风湿性疾病，前列腺炎和高血压。木贼科中最受欢迎的物种具有药用用途的属是欧文氏大肠杆菌，其利尿作用已在动物模型和临床试验中得到证实。物种E. bogotense Kunth还证实在实验和临床测定利尿的有益效果。还研究了其他几种物种的治疗潜力，显示出不同的生物学作用。关于化学组成，它包含许多活性成分，如生物碱，类黄酮，苯酚，植物甾醇，皂角苷，甾醇，硅酸，单宁，三萜和挥发油。然而，尽管传统用途已广泛使用，但仍需要对许多物种进行详细研究，以科学地验证流行用途。确实，木贼属的物种 属在肾脏疾病的治疗中具有巨大的潜力。