Effect of Prunus cerasus (Sour Cherry) on Nephrolithiasis in Children: The First Noninferiority Two-Arm Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective:  The present study evaluated the effect of Prunus cerasus (sour cherry) on children with nephrolithiasis.

Method:  We conducted a randomized noninferiority controlled trial to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of P. cerasus among children with nephrolithiasis. Subjects in the intervention group received 1.25 mL/kg of cherry concentrate once daily for 2 months, while the control group received 1 mL/kg Polycitra-K, which consists of 220 g citrate potassium and 68 g citric acid in 1000 mL sterile water. The major outcome was sonographically determined number and sizes of kidney stones, which were assessed before and after the trial.

Results:  Sixty-eight children completed the study. At trial onset, both groups were similar in baseline characteristics (P >.05). In within-group analysis, the number of stones significantly decreased in both groups (P <05). After 2 months, the number of nephrolithiasis was 1.55 ± 0.49 and 1.47 ± 0.67 in the control and intervention groups, respectively (P value=.56). The percentage of change in calculi number was 44.11 ± 11.12 and 38.14 ± 14.08 in the control and intervention groups, respectively (P value=.08). At the end of the study, the urine pH was 6.46 ± 0.99 and 6.14 ± 0.83 in the control and intervention groups, respectively (P value=.19). Urine calcium and uric acid concentrations were 32.00 ± 12.32 and 28.95 ± 10.96 mg/mm (P value=.68) and 24.11 ± 10.58 and 30.03 ± 11.39 mg/mm (P value=.012) in control and intervention groups, respectively.

Conclusion:  Our clinical data supported the efficacy of sour cherry in the treatment of nephrolithiasis compared to Polycitra-K. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the present observation.