An evaluation of anti-pyretic potential of Vetiveria zizanioides (Linn.)
root
M. B. Narkhede*, P. V. Ajmire, A. E. Wagh, M. R. Bhise, G. D. Mehetre, H. J. Patil
Indira Bhuuddeshiya Shikshan Shantha’s College of
Pharmacy, Malkapur
ABSTRACT:
Vetiveria zizanioides belonging to the family Gramineae, is widely used as a traditional plant as refrigerant that cools and calms the entire body. The
current study was focused to evaluate the antipyretic (yeast-induced pyrexia in
albino rats) potential of the hexane extract (HEVZ) and methanol extract (MEVZ)
of Vetiveria zizanioides root. The yeast-induced pyrexia method was standardized by
subcutaneous injection of yeast suspension (10 ml /kg body wt.) which increased rectal temperature
after 17 hours followed by recording of rectal temperature at regular interval. Both extract at 75mg, 150mg and
300mg/kg dose significantly (P< 0.05) reduced yeast-induced elevated
temperature. Also the effect of
extracts on normal body temperature was evaluated. Rectal temperature of
rodents was recorded at a time interval of 1hrs, 2hrs, 3hrs, 4hrs and 5hrs
after drug administration. Reduction is in a dose dependent manner.The
anti-pyretic effect of HEVZ and MEVZ was comparable to that of a standard
antipyretic agent paracetamol (150 mg / kg body wt, p.o).
KEYWORDS: antipyretic
activity; Vetiveria zizanioides; yeast-induced
pyrexia;
INTRODUCTION:
Pyrexia or fever is caused
as a secondary impact of infection, tissue damage, inflammation, graft
rejection, malignancy or other diseased states1. Pyrexia means rise
in normal body temperature. When body temperature becomes high, the temperature
regulatory system, which is governed by a nervous feedback mechanism, dilates
the blood vessels and increases sweating to reduce the temperature. When the
body temperature becomes low, hypothalamus protects the internal temperature by
vasoconstriction. Most of the antipyretic drugs inhibit COX- II expression to
reduce the elevated body temperature by inhibiting PGE2 biosynthesis2, 3.
Antipyretic drugs are used for releasing or reducing fever.
The screening of natural
product has led to the discovery of many potent antipyretic drugs. Vetiveria zizanioides is
popularly known as Khas Khas
or Khus grass in India. V. zizanioides has been known to India since ancient
times. The great sage Charka has categorized it as varnya
(complexion improving herb), dahaprasamana (refrige rant), angamarda prasamana (relieves body pains), chardi
nigrahana (antiemetic), stanya
janana (galactogogue), pacana (digestant), trsnaghna (relieves the thirst) and svedapanayana-
(alleviates the excessive sweating). The root decoction of the plant was used
in analgesic and inflammation4, rheumatism5, anthelmintic6
and antioxident7.
Different parts of plant including roots are used for the treatment of
aliments, such as mouth ulcer, acidity relief, headache, toothache, sprain,
malarial fever and urinary tract infection, various fungal and bacterial
infections8. A major application of the roots of V. zizanioides particularly in North Indian is as
refrigerant herbs that cools and calms the entire body and mind.
V.
zizanioides
is one of the best refrigerant herbs that cools and calms the entire body and
mind, with its influence spreading throughout the circulatory, digestive,
reparatory, and urinary and nervous systems. The current study was designed
and undertaken to screen V. zizanioides to confirm and provide scientific basis for
its antipyretic use in Indian traditional system of medicines.
MATERIAL AND
METHOD:
Preparation of Extracts:
The roots of V. zizanioides were purchased from local market. Dried roots were powdered
mechanically and sieved through No. 22 mesh sieve. The finely powered roots
were kept separately in an air tight container until the time of use. About 750
g of powder was soaked with 3 litres of ethanol and hexane in separate glass beaker for 12 h and then macerated at
room temperature using a mechanical shaker for 4 h. The extract was filtered
off and the marc was again soaked and then further extracted for 4 h and
filtered. The filtrates were then combined concentrated under reduced pressure
and evaporated at 40 0 C. The percentage yield of MEVZ and HEVZ was found to be 6.1%
w/v and 8.4 % w/v respectively. The
extracts were subjected to preliminary qualitative tests in order to identify
the various phytoconstituents present in plants9.
Animals:
Adult rats (Albino Wistar) of
either sex weighing 180 - 200 g were used for the present study. They were
maintained under standard environmental conditions and were fed with standard
pellet diet and water ad libitum. The
experimental procedures and research protocol used in this study were reviewed
and approved by Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (1336/ac/10/CPCSEA)
constituted as per the guidelines of Committee for Purpose of Control and
Safety on Experiments on Animals, India.
Study on normal body temperature:
Rats of either sex were divided into seven groups, six
in each group. The body temperature of each rat was measured rectally10
at predetermined intervals before and for 5 hours after administration of
either 2% aqueous tragacanth solution or HEVZ and
MEVZ at doses of 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg body weight orally.
Induction of yeast induced pyrexia:11
Healthy rats showing 37.5 ± 0.5 °C were selected. Then
they were fasted for 24hrs before inducing pyrexia. Pyrexia was induced by subcutaneously
injection of 10ml/kg body wt of 15% w/v yeast suspended in 0.5% w/v methyl
cellulose solution. Rats were then returned to their housing cages and were
allowed to feed. Basal rectal temperature was measured before the injection of
yeast, by inserting digital clinical thermometer to a depth of 2 cm into the
rectum. The rise in rectal temperature was recorded 19 hours after yeast
injection.
Work plan:
The animals were divided into eight groups of six each
and numbered.
Group I- Control, animal treated 2% of aqueous tragacanth solution (5 ml /kg b.w,
p.o).
Group
II- standard, animals treated with standard drug paracetamol (150mg/kg b.w, p.o).
Group
III- Animals, treated with HEVZ 75 mg / kg b.w, p.o).
Group
IV- Animals, treated with HEVZ 150 mg / kg b.w, p.o).
Group
V- Animals, treated with HEVZ 300mg / kg b.w, p.o).
Group
VI- Animals, treated with MEVZ 75 mg / kg b.w, p.o).
Group
VII- Animals, treated with MEVZ 150 mg / kg b.w, p.o).
Group
VIII -Animals, treated with MEVZ 300 mg / kg b.w, p.o).
The
rats were orally administered once with the respective drugs and rectal
temperature was recorded. Decrease in rectal temperature of post treatment
indicated antipyretic effect. The difference in body temperature was recorded.
The mean temperature was found out for each group and compared with the value
of standards drug 12.
Table 1:
Anti-pyretic activity of Vetiveria zizanioides
|
Treatment (mg/Kg b. w, p. o.) |
Rectal Temperature (°C) after Yeast injection at |
|||||
|
0 hr |
17 hr |
18 hr |
19 hr |
20 hr |
21 hr |
|
|
Group I |
38.1 ± 0.02 |
38.5 ± 0.01 |
39.5 ± 0.02 |
39.4 ± 0.03 |
39.0 ± 0.01 |
38.4 ± 0.02 |
|
Group II |
37.6 ± 0.03 |
39.5 ± 0.02 |
38.4 ± 0.01 |
38.1 ± 0.01 |
37.7 ± 0.02 |
37.6 ± 0.01 |
|
Group III |
37.3 ± 0.01 |
39.5 ± 0.01 |
39.3 ± 0.03 |
38.7 ± 0.02 |
38.4 ± 0.01 |
37.8 ± 0.01 |
|
Group IV |
37.5 ± 0.03 |
39.6 ± 0.02 |
38.7 ± 0.02 |
38.3 ± 0.01 |
37.8 ± 0.02 |
37.0 ± 0.03 |
|
Group V |
37.7 ± 0.02 |
39.6 ± 0.01 |
38.8 ± 0.03 |
37.8 ± 0.02 |
37.4 ± 0.03 |
37.4 ± 0.01 |
|
Group VI |
37.6 ± 0.01 |
39.6 ± 0.02 |
39.3 ± 0.03 |
38.5 ± 0.02 |
37.9 ± 0.03 |
34.4 ± 0.02 |
|
Group VII |
37.5 ± 0.02 |
39.6 ± 0.01 |
37.7 ± 0.02 |
37.4 ± 0.01 |
36.9 ± 0.02 |
33.9 ± 0.01 |
|
Group VII |
37.4 ± 0.01 |
39.7 ± 0.03 |
37.5 ± 0.01 |
36.8 ± 0.01 |
35.9 ± 0.02 |
33.9 ± 0.01 |
Values expressed as mean ±
SEM, n = 6 in each group
Table 2: Effect of extract of Vetiveria zizanioides on
normal body temperature
|
Treatment (mg/Kg b. w, p. o.) |
Rectal Temperature (°C) before and after treatment |
|||||
|
0 hr |
1 hr |
2 hr |
3 hr |
4 hr |
5 hr |
|
|
Control Group |
37.0 ± 0.2 |
37.3 ± 0.1 |
37.3 ± 0.2 |
37.4 ± 0.3 |
37.2 ± 0.1 |
37.4 ± 0.2 |
|
HEVZ 75 |
37.2 ± 0.1 |
36.8 ± 0.3 |
36.7 ± 0.2 |
36.6 ± 0.3 |
36.9 ± 0.2 |
37.0 ± 0.2 |
|
HEVZ 150 |
37.3 ± 0.1 |
36.6 ± 0.2 |
36.4 ± 0.3 |
36.3 ± 0.2 |
36.1 ± 0.1 |
36.7 ± 0.1 |
|
HEVZ 300 |
37.3 ± 0.2 |
36.2 ± 0.3 |
35.9 ± 0.2 |
35.7 ± 0.2 |
35.6 ± 0.1 |
36.0 ± 0.1 |
|
MEVZ 75 |
37.4 ± 0.1 |
37.0 ± 0.1 |
36.7 ± 0.2 |
36.5 ± 0.1 |
36.7 ± 0.3 |
36.7 ± 0.2 |
|
MEVZ 150 |
37.2 ± 0.1 |
36.4 ± 0.2 |
35.3 ± 0.1 |
35.2 ± 0.2 |
36.1 ± 0.1 |
36.6 ± 0.1 |
|
MEVZ 300 |
37.1 ± 0.1 |
36.9 ± 0.2 |
35.7 ± 0.3 |
35.6 ± 0.1 |
36.6 ± 0.2 |
37.0 ± 0.1 |
Values
expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 6 in each group.
RESULT AND
DISCUSSION:
Fever
may be a result of infection or one of the sequela of
tissue damage, inflammation, graft rejection or other disease states.
Antipyretics are drugs which reduce elevated body temperature. Regulation of
body temperature requires a delicate balance between the production and loss of
heat, and the hypothalamus regulates the set point at which body temperature is
maintained. In fever this set point is elevated and drugs like paracetamol do
not influence body temperature when it is elevated by factors such as exercise
or increases in ambient temperature13. An antipyretic drug reduces
fever primarily through action on the hypothalamus, thereby causing heat
dissipation through augmented peripheral blood flow and sweating. In north
India, the pastes of V. zizanioides roots externally or internally, are used to
control excessive sweating and burn sensation.
The
results of antipyretic activity of hexane extract and methanol extract of V. zizanioides
roots are presented in table no.1, produced significant antipyretic effects in
yeast induced pyrexia in rats, and its effect is comparable to that of standard
drug paracetamol. It was observed that methanol extract at a dose of 300 mg /
kg body weight showed maximum antipyretic activity amongst other extract.
Furthermore, the HEVZ and MEVZ also significantly reduced the normal body
temperature table no. 2
CONCLUSION:
The
result of present study confirmed the antipyretic activity of V. zizanioides
roots in rat. The antipyretic activity of roots supports its use in the
traditional medicine to reduce fever. Antioxidant supplementation decreases the
lipid per-oxidation process. V. zizanioides roots possess antioxidant activity. Hence
antioxidant activity may be one of the possible mechanism by which it reduces
the elevated body temperature. Further studies are needed to elucidate the
exact mechanism; isolation and characterization of active principle for
antipyretic effect are under planning in our laboratory.
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Received
on 23.10.2011
Modified on 20.11.2011
Accepted on 27.11.2011
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