ANTIPYRETIC ACTIVITIES OF THE AQUEOUS AND ETHANOL EXTRACTS OF FLOWER HEADS OF MATRICARIA RECUTITA AGAINST YEAST EXTRACT INDUCED PYREXIA MODEL IN MICE

Medicinal plants have always been associated with cultural and traditional believes and knowledge. Traditional Medicine constitutes 75-80% of the world’s population, mainly in developing countries, for various primary health care activities due to a better cultural acceptability. Phytomedicines obtained from herbal sources are in great demand as they are able to cure many infectious diseases. Matricaria recutita, an herbaceous plant that belongs to compositae family, locally called as chamomile, is used as wound, ulcer, rheumatic pain and other Aliments treatment including fever in children. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antipyretic activities of the aqueous and ethanol extracts of flower heads of Matricaria recutita in mice. Qualitative experimental study was done in mice. Rectal temperature was recorded before and after inducing pyrexia as well after administration of the respective extracts every half an hour for three hours. Parallel experiments were conducted with the standard antipyretic (aspirin) and the negative control (distilled water). Both extracts showed significant antipyretic activity at the specified dose levels except for 100mg/kg aqueous extract. The antipyretic activities for both extracts were found to be dose dependent. No significant potency difference was observed for aqueous and ethanol extracts though the effects of aqueous extract were not statistically significant to the end of the experiment. In this pharmacological evaluation, the aqueous and ethanol extracts of dried flower heads from Matricaria recutita were extensively investigated for their antipyretic activities against yeast extract induced pyrexia model in mice. The statistically processed result supports that both extracts possess antipyretic activities. Further studies on the same plant at molecular level, to determine the mechanism of action and particular active ingredient responsible for antipyretic activity were recommended.