Antipyretic activity of an aqueous extract of Cecropia peltata L. in Wistar rats as experimental model

Abstract

Cecropia peltata L. species is a plant used by the population; its use has been mentioned in afections involving asthmatic or catarrhal episodes. The present study was conducted to test experimentally for the first time, the antipyretic effect attributable to the aqueous extract of Cecropia peltata L. in rats; to fulfill an experimental study, preclinical double-blind randomized trial was performed by intraperitoneal injection of an aqueous suspension of beer yeast in sodium chloride 0.9% as exogenous pyrogen in four groups of eight animals each in the center of Toxicology, in "Dr. Serafin Ruiz de Zarate Ruiz” University of Medical Sciences of Santa Clara City, Villa Clara Province in February 2013. Three groups received doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg of the extract, respectively, and a positive control group received ibuprofen (100mg/kg). The mean and standard deviation as descriptive statistics were applied. Comparison between groups was performed by applying techniques and nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney test for independent samples were used, with a confidence interval of 95%. The antipyretic effect of Cecropia peltata L. extract through the technique described in doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg, with final temperatue  to the positive control group.  It was concluded that the aqueous extract of Cecropia peltata L. showed considerable antipyretic activity at doses of 400mg/kg body weight when compared to the reference drug.