The therapeutic role of the Bergenia genus: a comparative analysis between human and veterinary medicine

Abstract

Medicinal plants are a fundamental resource for the discovery and development of new therapies, having been used for centuries in both traditional medicine and modern practice. The genus Bergenia (family Saxifragaceae), known in particular for the species Bergenia ligulata, Bergenia ciliata, and Bergenia pacumbis, occupies a special place in Asian phytotherapy, where it is called "Paashanabheda" ("stone breaker") due to its use in the treatment of urinary lithiasis. Modern studies confirm the presence of important bioactive compounds, such as bergenin, gallic acid, tannins, and phytosterols, which give the plant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities (Koul et al., 2020; Gohain et al., 2022). While Bergenia is already well documented in human medicine, its applications in veterinary medicine are less explored, although there are mentions of the topical use of extracts for their astringent and healing effects in animals (Ahmad, 2018). The purpose of this article is to conduct a comparative analysis of the uses of Bergenia in human and veterinary medicine, starting from the ethnopharmacological tradition and continuing with the results of modern research, in order to highlight both therapeutic perspectives and future directions for research.