Title: Investigation of the Anti-Pyretic Effect of the Aqueous and Ethanolic Leave Extracts of Gnetum Africanum on Brewers Yeast Induced Pyrexia on Wistar Rats
Authors: Ighodalo Joan Amenaghawon.A, Ani Celestine Okafor, Ene Chidiebere Brown, Oguonu Afam., Adugba Augustine Oko, Agu Uchenna Francis
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i5.24
Abstract
The need for an alternative method of managing high body temperature has become necessary due to the toxicity of antipyretic drugs on various organs. Gnetum africanum, a wild liana found in Nigeria, Central Africa, Asia and South America, is believed to possess some phytochemical constituents that can help in the management of fever. 50 acclimatized male wistar rats weighing between 120g-200g were used for the study. Pyrexia was induced in some of the experimental animals by subcutaneous injection of the brewer’s yeast suspension; their rectal temperatures were then measured and recorded after 24hrs. About 40 rats were selected for the study as they showed an increase in temperature up to 0.5oc. The animals were randomly assigned into 8 groups of 5 rats. Group A received normal rats chow and water ad libitum. Group B received 500mg/kg of the reference drug (Paracetamol) orally. Groups C, D and E received 125, 250 and 500mg/kg dosages of the aqueous extract orally while Groups F, G and H also received the same dosages of the ethanolic extract orally. After administration of the extracts, the temperatures of the animals were measured and recorded at 30minutes for 2 hours. The results of the study showed that the ethanolic extract reduce temperature significantly (p≤0.05) in the pyretic rats but at an earlier time interval especially seen with the 500mg/kg dosage of the ethanolic extract whereas the higher dosages of the aqueous extract were able to reduce temperature significantly (p≤0.05) in the rats but at a later time interval. The reference drug (Paracetamol) was able to reduce temperature significantly (p≤0.05) in the animals at an early time interval which could be compared with the 500mg/kg dosage of the ethanolic extract which reduced temperature significantly at a similar time interval. The findings therefore suggest that the ethanolic and aqueous leaves extract of Gnetum Africanum plant both possess an antipyretic property which was exhibited in a dose-dependent manner. However, the ethanolic extract seems to be more potent than the aqueous and the reference drug respectively.
Keyword: Temperature, fever, Gnetum Africanum, Acetaminophen, ethanol.
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