Antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect of dichloromethane-methanolic extracts of Ximenia americana leaves and barks in rats and mice models

Abstract

Abstract. Muthee GD, Ngugi M, Mburu D. 2018. Antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect of dichloromethane-methanolic extracts of Ximenia americana leaves and barks in rats and mice models. Biofarmasi J Nat Prod Biochem 17: 86-96. Extremely high body temperatures lead to the destruction of cells in the body, while excessive inflammation damages the tissues and organs of the body, requiring treatment of fever and inflammation. Ximenia americana L. is used in Africa as a traditional medicine to treat various ailments such as pain, helminthiasis, inflammation, fever, wounds, diarrhea, and poisoning. This study tested the antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic dichloromethane of X. americana leaf and stem bark extracts in rats and mice, respectively. The plant material was collected in Mbeere in Embu County, Kenya. The active ingredients were extracted with methanol and dichloromethane in a 1:1 ratio. Two- or three-month-old Wister rats were used to test antipyretic activities, while five- to six-week-old Swiss albino mice were used to test anti-inflammatory activities. The animals were divided into six groups of five each; negative control, reference control, normal control, and three experimental groups (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg). Pyrexia was experimentally induced with turpentine, while inflammation was induced with carrageenan. The experimental groups were treated with predetermined doses of prepared extracts, and one-way ANOVA analyzed the data. The antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects in rats and mice were compared with aspirin (100 mg/kg) and diclofenac (15 mg/kg) as conventional standard drugs. Leaf extracts reduced rectal temperature from 0.45% to 2.11%, while stem bark extracts reduced rectal temperature from 0.71% to 2.13%. Aspirin reduced the rectal temperature by 0.74% to 1.67%. In anti-inflammatory studies, leaf extract reduced inflammation by 0.91% to 16.90%, while stem bark extract reduced inflammation by 5.84% to 29.00%. Diclofenac reduced inflammation from 1.32% to 29.60%. Qualitative phytochemical screening identified the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, phenols, and terpenoids. Flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins have been associated with antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects. The study found that X. americana’s DCM methanolic extract effectively treated fever and inflammation. In conclusion, taken together, X. americana can be explored as a potential biological source for generating a readily available herbal formulation effective in treating fever and inflammation.