Abstract

ANTIPYRETIC AND PURGATIVE ACTIVITIES OF CLITORIA TERNATEA LEAVES EXTRACTS

Murugalakshmi.M*, Valli.G, Mareeswari.P and  Thangapandian.V

ABSTRACT

The Clitoria ternatea extracts were prepared from Clitoria ternatea leaves in ethanol and acetone by Soxhlet Extraction using standard procedure. Clitoria ternatea belongs to the family Papilionaceae, commonly known as ‘Aparajita’ or ‘Girikarnika’. It is a perennial climber widely used in the traditional Ayurvedic system of Indian medicine for treating a variety of ailments. Antipyretic and purgative activities of ethanol and acetone extracts were studied using albino rats of both the sexes. Animals were divided into four groups each consisting of six animals. Group 1 served as control, group 2 received standard drug. Group 3 received 400 mg/kg of ethanol extract and Group 4 received 400 mg/kg of acetone extracts of Clitoria ternetea. For the determination of antipyretic activity, pyrexia was induced by 20% yeast suspention.The purgative activity of both the extracts were also determined.The results obtained showed that the extracts were found to exhibit antipyretic and purgative activities. Present study highlights the significant antipyretic activity of the ethanol and acetone extracts of Clitoria ternatea leaves. The antipyretic activity of Clitoria ternatea leaves extract was found to be higher than the standard drug paracetamol. The purgative activity reveals that the induction of purgation was significant for acetone extract. Ethanol extract of Clitoria ternatea was found to exhibit higher degree of purgation than the standard sodium picosulphate. The reduction in rectal temperature was found to be 0.550C than the standard paracetamol (0.350C).

Keywords: C. ternatea, antipyretic, purgative, pyrexia, paraacetamol, sodium picosulphate.