The anti-pyretic activity of aqueous and alcoholic extract of stem bark of Neolamarckia cadamba on brewer’s yeast-induced wistar rats

Full text

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ISSN Print: 2617-4693
ISSN Online: 2617-4707
IJABR 2024; SP-8(8): 388-390
www.biochemjournal.com
Received: 16-05-2024
Accepted: 24-06-2024
Alka Sawarkar
Department of Veterinary
Pharmacology & Toxicology,
Nagpur Veterinary College,
Maharashtra Animal and
Fishery Science University,
Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Tejal Bhapkar
Department of Veterinary
Pharmacology & Toxicology,
Nagpur Veterinary College,
Maharashtra Animal and
Fishery Science University,
Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Sonal Dubey
Department of Veterinary
Pharmacology & Toxicology,
Nagpur Veterinary College,
Maharashtra Animal and
Fishery Science University,
Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Swati Umap
Department of Veterinary
Pharmacology & Toxicology,
Nagpur Veterinary College,
Maharashtra Animal and
Fishery Science University,
Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Vivek Borekar
Department of Veterinary
Pharmacology & Toxicology,
Nagpur Veterinary College,
Maharashtra Animal and
Fishery Science University,
Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Corresponding Author:
Alka Sawarkar
Department of Veterinary
Pharmacology & Toxicology,
Nagpur Veterinary College,
Maharashtra Animal and
Fishery Science University,
Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
The anti-pyretic activity of aqueous and alcoholic
extract of stem bark of Neolamarckia cadamba on
brewer’s yeast-induced wistar rats
Alka Sawarkar, Tejal Bhapkar, Sonal Dubey, Swati Umap and Vivek
Borekar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i8Sf.1835
Abstract
The present study investigates the anti-pyretic activity of aqueous and alcoholic extract of stem bark of
Neolamarckia cadamba in Wistar rats. Pyrexia was induced by injecting 20% Brewer’s yeast. Pyrexia,
or fever, is a common physiological response to infection or inflammation and can lead to various
complications if not managed effectively. The study was aimed to explore the potential of
Neolamarckia cadamba extracts as a natural remedy for fever management, comparing their efficacy to
the standard anti-pyretic drug, Paracetamol. Five groups of Wistar rats were made and administered
different treatments. Group T1 served as normal control. Groups T2, T3, T4 and T5, all received 20%
Brewer’s yeast at the dosage of 10 ml/kg body weight to induce pyrexia. Group T2 was positive control
and received normal saline. Group T3 was administered, Paracetamol at dosage of 100 mg/kg body
weight orally, serving as the standard control. Groups T4 and T5 received the aqueous and alcoholic
extract of Neolamarckia cadamba at a dosage of 200 mg/kg body weight each, orally. Rectal
temperatures were recorded at hourly intervals to monitor the progression of pyrexia and effectiveness
of the treatments. Preliminary analysis indicates promising anti-pyretic effects of both Neolamarckia
cadamba extracts compared to the standard drug Paracetamol. The study observed a more significant
reduction in body temperature in rats treated with the alcoholic extract than aqueous extract, suggesting
their potential as alternative or adjunctive therapies for fever management.
Keywords: Antipyretic activity, Neolamarckia cadamba, brewer’s yeast, pyrexia
1. Introduction
Societies have been relying on natural products, especially plants to support and preserve
good health as well as to combat illness, pain, and disease throughout human history. The
rate at which plant and animal species gradually become extinct has accelerated over the last
200 years, and traditional knowledge about the therapeutic benefits and applications of plants
and other natural products has also been lost (Fetrow and Avoila, 2000) [5]. Even in cases
where synthetic chemistry has advanced beyond all expectations, natural products continue
to play a crucial role in the development of medications used in modern medicine. It's
undeniable that interest in herbal medications is rising.
Indian subcontinent is home to a number of medicinal and therapeutically important plants.
One such overlooked plant is Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser (Rubiaceae) also
known as Anthocephalus cadamba. The name is derived from two Greek words “anthos” and
“kephalos”. Genus of the plant refers to its ball-shaped flowering heads and species identifies
the origin of the plant (Orwa et al., 2009) [8]. Neolamarckia cadamba is a common ingredient
in traditional Indian formulations. It has been used as a treatment for a variety of conditions,
including eye infections, skin conditions, dyspepsia, gum disease, stomatitis, cough, fever,
anemia, blood abnormalities, and stomach pain (Umachigi et al., 2007; Dr. Duke’s
Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases, 2007; Khare, 2008) [11, 4, 7].
Inter national Journal of Ad vanced Biochemi stry Research 2024; SP-8(8 ): 388-390

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International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research https://www.biochemjournal.com
Fever is defined as an increase in body temperature that is
higher than normal and is body's natural reaction to a
microbial infection (Anochie, 2013) [1]. The word Pyrexia is
derived from a Greek word pyros, which translates as “fire”
or “burning heat” (Swaminathen, 2019) [10]. Fever of mild
origin that is less than 39oC is usually advantageous and
helps boost immunity. This type of fever usually resolves on
its own. However, prolonged severe fever can prove to be
fatal. Fever can cause changes in the endocrine,
immunological, and neurological systems in addition to
raising the core body temperature. It can also cause
behavioral abnormalities (Cock et al., 2023) [3].
Inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β),
tumour necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), are
directly involved in the inflammatory process leading to
tissue damage. Exogenous pyrogens, such as components of
microbial surfaces, stimulate pyrogenic cytokines, which in
turn stimulates the release of prostaglandin E2 in Preoptic
Nuclei of Anterior Hypothalamus, the proximal mediator of
fever (Aronoff and Neilson, 2001) [2].
To reduce the symptoms of fever, the majority of antipyretic
chemotherapy drugs target intermediates in the arachidonic
acid cascade. By binding to and inhibiting the COX-2
enzyme, antipyretic medications such as salicylates (e.g.,
aspirin) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) (e.g., ibuprofen) address the cytokine-induced
spike in the set-point temperature (Anochie, 2013) [1].
Antipyretic treatment adverse effects include renal failure,
NSAID-induced gastrointestinal irritation and bleding, and
Reye's syndrome in children receiving aspirin under the age
of sixteen (Rossiter et al., 2022) [9]. Conventional
chemotherapy has a number of unfavorable side effects even
though it is typically helpful in reducing fever. Furthermore,
the unaffordability and limited availability of certain
antipyretic treatments have led to the adoption of alternative
therapies, such as medicinal plants. This is where ethno-
veterinary medicine gains importance.
2. Materials and Methods
The present work was planned to study the anti-pyretic
activity of aqueous and alcoholic extract of stem bark of
Neolamarckia cadamba in Wistar rats. The proposed work
was carried out at Nagpur Veterinary College, Nagpur,
using the facilities available at the Department of Veterinary
Pharmacology and Toxicology.
2.1 Experimental animals
The Institutional Animal Ethical Committee (IAEC)
approves the experimental protocol as per the Committee for
Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals
(CCSEA) guidelines, Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, Government of India. The proposed research
was conducted on rats of the Wistar strain, procured from
the Central Laboratory House facility at Nagpur Veterinary
College, Nagpur. Rats of 8 weeks of age weighing around
150 to 200 g were used for the present study.
2.2 Housing
All the rats were kept under standard managemental
conditions as per the CCSEA norms. They were provided
with 12 hr light and 12 hr dark periods. All the animals were
maintained in polypropylene cages in a hygienic
environment.
2.3 Feeding
The animals received ad-lib balanced pellet feed and
purified drinking water throughout the experiment.
2.4 Bedding Material
Clean and dry corn cob was used as bedding material for the
experimental animals. Bedding material was changed every
alternate day.
2.5 Drugs and Chemicals
• Brewer’s yeast (Urban platter)
• Paracetamol (Cipla Pvt. Ltd.)
• Petroleum ether 60 – 80 °C AR (Loba Chemie Pvt. Ltd.,
107, Mumbai, India)
• Methanol, Hi-ARTM (HiMedia Laboratories Pvt. Ltd.
Thane, India)
2.6 Identification, Collection and Authentication of Plant
The plant was identified and collected from the MAFSU
library campus, MAFSU, Nagpur. The sample was duly
authenticated from Department of Botany at Rashtrasant
Tukdoji Maharaj University, Nagpur.
2.7 Preparation of Methanolic Extract
The collected stem bark was properly washed and air dried
in the shed in hygienic conditions. The powder of stem bark
of plant of Neolamarckia cadamba was first defatted with
petroleum ether in Soxhlet’s apparatus. The material was air
dried, weighed and then further extracted using methanol in
Soxhlet’s apparatus (Gurjar et al., 2010) [6]. The extract was
then collected in a clean, sterilised plate and dried over
water bath at 60 °C and stored in air tight dessicator for
further use.
2.8 Induction of Fever
The anti-pyretic activity of methanolic extract of stem bark
of Neolamarckia cadamba was carried out using 20%
Brewer’s yeast (w/v) induced pyrexia. 20% Brewer’s yeast
(w/v) was administered with a single dose of subcutaneous
injection @ 10 ml/kg body weight near neck. Pyrexia was
confirmed with the help of commercial digital thermometer
after 20 hrs of Brewer’s yeast injection. Rectal temperatures
were taken and rats having temperature above 100oF were
used for the experiment.
2.9 Experimental Design
Rats were divided into 5 groups T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, each
group comprising of 6 rats with an equal sex ratio. Group T1
comprising of normal rats without pyrexia which served as
normal control group simply receiving 1ml of distilled
water. Group T2 received 20% Brewer’s yeast (w/v) @ 10
ml/kg body weight s.q. Group T3 received paracetamol @
100 mg/kg body weight and was used as standard reference
drug.

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International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research https://www.biochemjournal.com
Groups T4 and T5 were treated with aqueous and alcoholic
extract of Neolamarckia cadamba @ 200 mg/kg body weight each. After administration of drugs rectal
temperatures were taken at a definite interval for 5 hr.
Table 1: Experimental design to study antipyretic activity of Neolamarckia cadamba on Brewer’s yeast induced pyrexia
Sr.
No.
Groups
No. of
rats
Treatment
Route of
administration
Duration of
treatment (Hours)
1.
T1
6
Normal Control
Oral
5
2.
T2
6
20% Brewer’s yeast @ 10ml/kg
Subcutaneously
Single dose
3.
T3
6
Paracetamol (100 mg/kg)
Oral
5
4.
T4
6
Aqueous extract of stem bark Neolamarckia cadamba @ 200 mg/kg b.wt.
Oral
5
5.
T5
6
Alcoholic extract of stem bark Neolamarckia cadamba @ 200 mg/kg b.wt.
Oral
5
2.10 Statistical Analysis
Randomized block design was applied to the data.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1 Induction of Pyrexia
As expected, the subcutaneous injection of 20% Brewer’s
yeast (w/v) induced pyrexia in rats within 20 hrs post
administration.
3.2 Effect of Neolamarckia cadamba Extract on Brewer’s
Yeast Induced Pyrexia
In the previous studies conducted in the Department of
Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, effect of
Neolamarckia cadamba against diabetes and mammary
tumor has also been studied which showed positive results
for the same. Neolamarckia cadamba possesses several
medicinal properties and number of phytoactive compounds
which is therapeutically effective against pyrexia. In this
pre-clinical study, Neolamarckia cadamba has proven to be
potent against pyrexia.
Aqueous and alcoholic extracts were used in treatment, at a
dosage of 200 mg/kg body weight. When the results from
the standard medication and both the extracts were
compared to the control group, it was shown that the high
rectal temperature caused by yeast had significantly
decreased. The results of the yeast-induced pyrexia method
showed that alcoholic extract had a more considerable
commencement of action as compared to aqueous extract
since they were able to lower the temperature within 4
hours.
Table 2: Effect of Aqueous and Alcoholic Extract of Stem Bark of Neolamarckia cadamba on Brewer’s yeast induced Pyrexia
Sr.
no.
Treatment
Dose
Temp. of
Pyretic rats
(oF)
Temperature after drug administration (oF)
1hr
2hr
3hr
4hr
5hr
1
Control (T1)
-
-
98.907±0.236c
99.183 ± 0.199d
98.940 ± 0.242c
99.290 ± 0.230b
98.977 ± 0.212b
2
Positive control (T2)
10 ml/kg
102.565
102.372 ± 0.234a
103.003 ± 0.331a
103.062 ± 0.141a
102.762 ± 0.187a
102.685 ± 0.227a
3
Paracetamol (T3)
100 mg/kg
102.293
99.648± 0.420c
98.715± 0.294d
99.152 ± 0.148c
98.138 ± 0.267c
98.260 ± 0.104c
4
Aqueous extract (T4)
200 mg/kg
102.943
101.612± 0.222a
101.663 ± 0.673b
100.162 ± 0.216b
99.405 ± 0.271b
98.862 ± 0.230b
5
Alcoholic extract (T5)
200 mg/kg
102.75
100.645 ± 0.274b
100.335± 0.327bc
99.343 ± 0.203c
98.732 ± 0.241bc
97.943 ± 0.203bc
4. Conclusion
The above study indicates the potential of Neolamarckia
cadamba as a potent antipyretic drug which acts in a dose
dependent manner. Alcoholic extract of Neolamarckia
cadamba has a more potent antipyretic action as compared
to aqueous extract.
5. Acknowledgement
I am very thankful to the Department of Veterinary
Pharmacology and Toxicology, Nagpur Veterinary College,
Nagpur for providing various inputs to my studies.
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