Content area
Full Text
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, graftrejection, 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...