CNS Depressant, Antidiarrheal and Antipyretic Activities of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Phyllanthus acidus L. on Swiss Albino Mice

Aims: The study was to evaluate the CNS depressant, antidiarrheal and antipyretic activities of ethanolic leaf extract of Phyllanthus acidus L.

Methodology: The ethanolic extract of P. acidus leaves was divided into two concentrations 250 mg/kg body weight and 500 mg/kg body weight. CNS depressant activity of P. acidus was investigated in swiss albino mice using hole-cross, hole-board and open-field models. Castor-oil induced diarrhea and gastrointestinal motility test with barium sulfate milk was used to assess antidiarrheal activity whereas Brewer’s yeast-induced hyperthermia in mice was used to investigate the antipyretic activity respectively.

Results: P. acidus significantly (P = 0.05) reduce the CNS depression of the studied animals in different tested models and the effects were found to be dose-dependent which were comparable to the standard drug diazepam. In castor oil induced diarrheal model the plant extract reduced the time of onset and severity of diarrhea with significant (P = 0.05) inhibition of 42.86% and 64.29% for 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w extracts respectively whereas the standard drug loperamide (5 mg/kg) showed 71.43% diarrheal inhibitory activity. Distance of gastrointestinal motility was significantly (P = 0.05) reduced to 62.05±1.74% from control distance 79.06±2.93% in barium sulfate milk model by the highest dose 500 mg/kg. In yeast induced pyrexia, the plant extract demonstrated dose dependent protection at 250 and 500 mg/kg, similar to standard drug, paracetamol at 500 mg/kg.

Conclusion: In this study, we found that P. acidus possess significant CNS depressant, antidiarrheal and antipyretic activities and therefore it could be an excellent source for natural CNS depressant, antidiarrheal and antipyretic agents for medical applications.