Phylomedicine, Vol. 7(3), pp.

231-234
© Urban & Fischer Verlag 2000
hllp:l/www.urbanfischer.de/journals/phy1omed
Phytomedicine

Evaluation of anti-pyretic potential of Jussiaea

suffruticosa L. extract in rats
T. Murugesan, S. C. Mandal, T. Bhakta, J. Dasl, M. Pal and B. P. Saha
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India.
lDepartment of Pharmacology, Dr. B. C. Roy P. G. Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University College of Medicine, Cal-
cutta, India.

Summary

A study was carried out to evaluate the anti-pyretic potential of the methanol extract of the aerial part
of]ussiaea suffruticosa Linn. (ME1S) on normal body temperature and yeast-induced pyrexia in albino
rats. Yeast suspension (10 ml/kg body wt.) increased rectal temperature after 19 hours of subcutaneous
injection. The ME1S, at doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body wt, p.o., showed significant reduction
in normal body temperature and yeast-provoked elevated temperature in a dose-dependent manner. The
effect also extended up to 5 hours after the drug administration. The anti-pyretic effect of ME1S was
comparable to that of paracetamol (150 mg/kg body wt, p.o.), a standard anti-pyretic agent.

Key words: Jussiaea suffruticosa; Ludwigia octovalvis; Oenothera octovalvis; ME]S; Anti-pyretic.

Introduction
The plant Jussiaea suffruticosa L. (Family: Onagra-
ceae) is well known as Banlunga (Hindi), Lalbunlunga
(Bengali), Nirkkrambu, Kattukrambu (Tamil) in the
traditional medicine of India. The plant is semi-shrub-
by, erect, perennial, 60-90 em high, and distributed as
a weed in cultivated paddy fields and wet fields
throughout India and Ceylon (Anonymous, 1966;
Anonymous, 1986). The whole plant, reduced to pulp
and steeped in butter-milk, is useful in the treatment of
dysentery, mental illness and diarrhea. The decoction
of the plant is used as a vermifuge, astringent, carmina-
tive, and as a diuretic and anthelmintic (Anonymous,
1986; Kirtikar and Basu, 1935; Nadkarni et a!., 1992).
It has come to our attention that the rural people of
Tamilnadu, India, use the juice of the plant for the re-
lief of fever. Based on the traditional use of the plant as
an anti-pyretic agent, the present study was carried out
in an experimental animal model to substantiate the
folklore claim.
Materials and methods
Plant material
The plant Jussiaea suffruticosa Linn. was collected
from a cultivated paddy field near Thanjavur, Tamil-
nadu. The authentication of the plant was established
by the Botanical Survey of India, Shibpur, Howrah and
the voucher specimen (J.S.-l) has been deposited in our
Research laboratory for future reference. The whole
plants were dried under controlled temperature
(shade).
Extraction procedure
The dried and pulverized plants were extracted with
90 % methanol in a Soxhlet apparatus. Solvent was re-
moved in vacuo in a rotary evaporator to provide dry
extracts (yield 9.5% w/w, with respect to the dried
powder). The chemical constituents of the extract were
identified by qualitative analysis and confirmed by
thin-layer chromatography study (i. e., hRf values) for
the presence of flavanoids, steroids, alkaloids and tan-
nins. The methanol extract of Jussiaea suffruticosa
(ME]S) was stored in a dessicator and a weighed

0944-7113/00/07/03-135 $ 12.00/0
232 T. Murugesan et al.

Table 1. Effectof MEJS on normal body temperature.

Treatment Rectal temperature (0C) before and after treatment
Oh 1h 2h 3h 4h 5h
Control
5 mllkg
body wt. 37.4 ± 0.2 37.2 ± 0.1 37.4 ± 0.3 37.3 ± 0.2 37.3 ± 0.1 37.0 ± 0.2
MEJS
100 mglkg
body wt. 37.2 ± 0.1 36.7 ± O.3 c 36.6 ± 0.2b 36.5 ± O.3 b 36.7 ± 0.2b 36.8 ± 0.3
MEJS
200mglkg
body wt, 37.3 ± 0.2 36.2 ± 0.1" 36.2 ± 0.2a 36.3 ± 0.2b 36.7 ± 0.2b 36.7 ± 0.2b
MEJS
300 rng/kg
body wt, 37.1 ± 0.2 35.8 ± 0.2a 35.8 ± 0.2a 35.8 ± 0.1" 35.9 ± 0.2a 36.0 ± 0.2b
Each value representsmean ± SEof 6 rats.
Control =2 % aqueous tragacanth solution.
a p < 0.001, b P < 0.01, P < 0,05, as compared to the control values of corresponding hour.
C

MEJS - Methanol extract of Jussiaea suffruticosa Linn.

amount was suspended in 2 % tragacanth solution for
the present study.
Animals used
Adult albino rats (Wistar strain) of either sex weighing
180-200 g each were used. The animals were main-
tained under suitable nutritional and environmental
conditions throughout the experiment.
Study on normal body temperature
Rats of either sex were divided into four groups, com-
prising six in each group for this experiment. The body
temperature of each rat was measured rectally at pre-
determined intervals before and for 5 h after adminis-
tration of either 2 % aqueous tragacanth solution (con-
trol) or MEJS at doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg
body wt. orally.
turned to their housing cages. After 19 h of yeast injec-
tion, the animals were again restrained in individual
cages for the recording of their rectal temperatures as
described previously.
Drug administration
After 19 h of yeast injection, the MEJS was adminis-
tered orally at doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body
wt. to three groups of animals, respectively. A similar
volume (5 ml/kg body wt.) of 2 % aqueous tragacanth
solution was administered orally to the control group
of animals. The fifth group of animals received the
standard drug, paracetamol (150 mg/kg body wt.)
orally. Rats were restrained for recording of their rectal
temperatures at the nineteenth, immediately before
MEJS or saline or paracetamol administration, and
again at one hour's interval up to the twenty-third h,
after yeast injection.

Induction of yeast-induced pyrexia

Rats were divided into five groups of six rats each. The
normal body temperature of each rat was measured
rectally at predetermined intervals and recorded. Fever
was induced as per the method described by Smith and
Hambourger (1935). The rats were trained to remain
quiet in a restraint cage. A thermister probe was insert-
ed 3-4 em deep into the rectum and fastened to the tail
by adhesive tape. The temperature was measured on a
thermometer. After measuring the basal rectal tempera-
ture, animals were given a subcutaneous injection of 10
mllkg body wt. of 15% w/v yeast suspended in
0.5% w/v methylcellulose solution. Rats were then re-
Statistical analysis
The data were analyzed for significance using the un-
paired two-tailed student's t-test (Woodson, 1987).
Results
Effect of the MEJS on normal body temperature in rats
is presented in Table 1. It was found that the MEJS at
doses of 100 mg/kg body wt, caused significant lower-
ing of body temperature up to 4 h following its admin-
 Eva lua tion of th e anti-pyretic potential of Jussiaea suffruticosa L. ex tract in rat s 233

Table 2. Effect of MEJS on yeast-induced pyrexia in rats.

Treatment Rectal temperatur e (0C) after yeast injection at
Dh 19 h 20 h 21 h 22 h 23 h
Control
5mllkg
body w t, 37.6 ± 0.02 39.6 ± 0.02 39.5 ± 0.03 39.3 ± 0.07 39.1 ± 0.03 39.04 ± 0.03
Paracetamol
150 mg/kg
body wt. 37.8 ± 0.01 39.7 ± 0.03 38.4 ± 0.01" 38.0 ± 0.01" 37.8 ± O.osa 37.7 ± 0.03a
MEJS
100 mg/kg
body wt, 37.5 ± 0.04 39.7 ± 0.01 39.0 ± o.oi- 38.5 ± 0.02b 38.3 ± O.OSb 37.9 ± 0.09 a
MEJS
200 mg/kg
body wt. 37.4 ± 0.01 39.7 ± 0.01 38.8 ± 0.04" 38.3 ± 0.05a 37.9 ± 0.08 a 37.7 ± 0.06a
MEJS
300 mg/kg
body wt , 37.6 ± 0.07 39.7 ± 0.07a 38.5 ± 0.01" 37.8 ± 0.03a 37.5 ± 0.01" 37.5 ± 0.05 a
Each value represents mean ± SE of 6 rats.
Control =2 % aqueous tragacanth solution.
a p < 0,001, b P < 0.01 as compared to the control values of corresponding hour.
MEJS - Methanol extract of [ussiaea suffruticosa Linn.

istra tion, This effect was maxim al at doses of 200 an d
30 0 mg/kg bod y w t , in a dose-dependent manner and it
ca used significant lowering of bod y temperature up to
5 h after its ad ministration. T he subcutaneous injectio n
of yeast suspe nsion mark edly elevated th e rectal tem-
pera ture after 19 h of administration. Tre atment w ith
th e MElS at the doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body
wt, decreased the rectal temp erature of the rats in a
dose-d ependent manner. The anti pyretic effect started
as early as 1 h, and the effect was ma intained for 4 h,
after its administration. T he standard drug paraceta-
mol at 150 mg/kg body wt. dose significa ntly reduced
the yeas t-provoked elevat ion of body temperature. The
results ob ta ined fro m bo th th e standard-d rug- treated
an d M El S-treated rats were co mpared with th e control
(2 % aqueous tr agacanth so lution) group an d we ob-
serve d a significant reduction in the yeast-elevated rec-
tal temperature (Table 2) .
paracetamol do not infl uence body tempe ra tur e when
it is elevated by factors such as exe rcise or increases in
ambient tem perature (Goodman and Gilma n, 1996).
T he present results show th at th e methano l extract of
Jussiaea suffruticosa (MElS) possesses a significa nt an -
tipyretic effect in yeas t-provoked eleva tio n of body
tem perature in rats, and its effect is comparable to th at
of paracetamol (standar d d ru g). Furtherm ore, th e
MElS also significantly reduced the normal body tem-
pera ture, and this is to be studied fur ther for the exact
mechani sm of action.
Acknowledgement
The authors are grateful to CSIR, New Delhi, for financial
support to T. Murugesan for this project. We owe our thanks
to Sri Vasavi Soft Drinks Pvt.Ltd., Mysore, for free samples of
yeast and Dr. Pulok K. Murk herjee,J.S.S. Collegeof Pharma-
cy, Ooty, for his technical assistance.

Discussion
Fever may be a result of infection o r one of the seque-
lae of tissu e dam age, inflammation, graft rejection, or
other disease states. Antipyretics are drugs which re -
du ce eleva ted body temperature. Regulation of body
temperatu re requires a delicate balan ce between th e
pr oduction and loss of heat, and the hypothalamus reg-
ulates th e set point at which bo dy temperatur e is main-
tained. In fever this set point is eleva ted and drugs like
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