Abstract

Salacia lehmbachii is an indigenous plant used in traditional medicine in Southern Nigeria for the treatment of fever and inflammatory diseases among other uses. The antipyretic effect of ethanolic leaf extract of S. lehmbachii leaf (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) was evaluated in Wistar albino rats using brewer’s yeast, amphetamine and 2, 4 dinitrophenol to induce fever, while the efficacy of the herbal drug was compared with 20 mg/kg paracetamol. Acute toxicity test (LD₅₀) of the herbal extract was conducted via oral route. The ethanolic leaf extract significantly (p<0.05) exhibited antipyretic activity in rats. The presence of diverse constituents including tannins, saponins, steroids, flavonoids and alkaloids could account for the potency of the ethanol leaf extract of this plant. The findings may be of clinical relevance and further substantiates the traditional use of the plant as antipyretic agent.

Keywords:

Antipyretic, ethanol, herbal medicine, rats, salacia lehmbachii,

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