Abstract

The analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects of methanol extract of botanical medicine prepared by taking equal amounts of dried stems of Tinospora cordifolia Willd, fruits of Emblica officinalis Gaertn and rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus Linn were evaluated using standard methods. These botanicals have been traditionally used in Indian system of medicine for treatment of fever, joint pain, body ache and muscular pain in the form of single or combined drug therapy. After acute toxicity studies, anti-inflammatory effect was assessed using carrageen induced paw oedema test and antipyretic effect using yeast induced pyrexia method. Tail immersion, hot plate and writhings test were used for determining the analgesic properties. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of polyphenolic flavonoids, tannin and saponins. Significant anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic properties were noticed in dose dependant manner after methanolic extract administration, especially at 500 mg/kg dose. These test drug activities were sustained and comparable to the standard drugs while exhibiting no acute toxicity. The findings indicate that the methanolic extract possesses significantly high anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic properties without any acute toxicity possibly due to the presence of flavonoids.

Key words: Analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, toxicity, botanical medicine.