- Asian Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (2015) Volume 5, Issue 43

Antipyretic Properties of Dichloromethane: Methanolic Leaf and Root Bark Extracts of Carissa edulis in Rats

Although pyrexia benefits the nonspecific immune response to invading microorganisms and tissue damage, it is also viewed as a source of discomfort and hence is commonly suppressed with some medication. However, conventional medications are expensive and arguably associated with various severe adverse side effects hence the need to develop herbal agents that are effective, cheaply available as alternative and complementary to conventional therapeutic drugs. Today herbal remedies are gaining popularity because the efficacy of conventional medicine is on the wane. Through ages Carissa edulis has been used as folklore remedy for various common ailments afflicting people in various parts of the world. However, although C. edulis (Forssk.)Vahl is widely used for pyrexia in the traditional medicine, an extensive search of the literature reveals no scientifically investigated report of its described effects. Thus, this study was to scientifically evaluate the ethnomedicinal importance of C. edulis (Forssk.)Vahl as an alternative and complementally intervention for the treatment of fever. The experimental groups were treated with leaf and root bark extracts at concentration of 50mg/kg, 100mg/kg and 150mg/kg. Antipyretic activities in rats were compared with aspirin (100mg/kg) as the standard conventional drug. The leaf extracts reduced the rectal temperature by between 0.02% - 2.98% while the root bark extracts reduced it by between 0.15% - 2.55%. Aspirin reduced the elevated rectal temperature by between 1.08% - 2.53%. Results indicate that both leaf and root bark extracts of C. edulis have profound antipyretic activities comparable to the conventional antipyretic drug, aspirin

Author(s): Gitahi S. Maina*, Mwangi B. Maina, Njagi J. Muriithi, Mworia J. Kiambi, Juma K. Kelvin, Aliyu Umar, Mwonjoria K. John, Njoroge W. Ann, Ngugi M. Piero, Mburu N. David

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