ABSTRACT
The study was conducted to determine the antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity of the methanolic extract of Andographispaniculata (APE) in albino rats. Acute oral LD50 of APE in female rats was more than 2000 mg/kg. The antipyretic activitywas studied by inducing pyrexia with Brewer’s yeast. A total number of thirty albino rats (200 g) were used for the study ofanti-pyretic activity they were divided into five groups of six rats in each group. Group I served as control Normal saline andGroup II were given brewer’s yeast alone (20 ml/kg), Group III was administered standard drug Aspirin @ 100 mg /kg bodywt. while groups IV and V were treated with 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of Andrographis paniculata extract respectively.Pyrexia was induced by subcutaneously injecting 20% w/v brewer’s suspension in below the nape of the neck of the animals.The anti-inflammatory activity of APE was assessed by measuring the reduction in carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats.A twenty four albino rats (200 g) were used for the study of anti-inflammatory activity. Four groups were divided with six ratsin each group. Group I served as control Normal saline solution and Group II was administered standard drug phenylbutazone@ 100 mg/kg While, groups III and IV were treated with 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg of APE respectively. APE (@ 400 mg/kghad significant antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity against reduced brewer’s yeast induced pyrexia and carrageenaninduced rat paw edema in rats suggesting potent antipyretic effect of APE. From these results it may be concluded that crudemethanolic extract of Andrographis paniculata have significant antipyretic activity and anti-inflammatory activity that mightbe due to combined effect of active constituents present in plant extract this strongly support the ethno pharmacologicaluse of the plant for the management of fever and inflammation