Phyllanthus urinaria is commonly called as chamberbitter, gripeweed, shatterstone, stonebreaker, or leafflower. In Korea, it is called as ‘Jinjoocho,’ which means the herb with pearls. The plant has small alternate leaves resembling those of the mimosa tree, folding automatically when touched. Small and green-red fruits are found along the underside of the stems. It is widely used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases, such as viral hepatitis, diarrhea, jaundice kidney disorders, influenza, diabetes, bronchial infections, sores, swelling, itchiness, cardiovascular problems, and inflammatory disorders.

Methanolic extract from the root of P. urinaria exhibited anti-melanogenesis efficacy by inhibiting tyrosinase activity, and the acetonic extract of P. urinaria exhibited anti-microbial efficacy. Phytochemical studies on P. urinaria have resulted in the isolation of various compounds, mainly lignans, flavonoids, tannins, and other benzenoid constituents. Corilagin, one type of gallotannin, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the activity of NF-κB and by down-regulating gene expression of IL-8. Geraniin, a hydrolysable tannin, has shown anti-oxidant activities, such as scavenging of DPPH radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and superoxide radicals.