Antipyretic and Analgesic Activity of Polyherbal Unani Formulation in Experimental Animals

Abstract

The study medicine is a multi-ingredient formulation composed of various herbs. It is suggested for the treatment of pyrexia and pain, as stated in classical literature. The study was designed to assess the effectiveness of the experimental medicine in reducing fever and pain in several animal models used for experimentation. Rats at 150 and 300 mg/kg bw were tested for antipyretic effectiveness in the yeast-induced pyrexia model compared to paracetamol (70 mg/kg bw p.o). The efficacy of the tested formulation in relieving pain was assessed using an acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice at dosage of 300 and 600 mg/kg bw, whereas diclofenac sodium was used as the standard control at a dose of 15 mg/kg bw orally. The analgesic effects in rats were evaluated using Eddy's hot plate test. Test drug was administered at doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg bw, whereas buprenorphine was used as the standard control at a dose of 0.10 mg/kg via subcutaneous injection. Animals that received a high dose (300 mg/kg bw) of the medication showed a substantial (<0.001) decrease in rectal temperature 60 minutes after treatment, compared to the normal control group. The identical dosage also resulted in a decrease in rectal temperature at the 120-minute time point when compared to the normal control group, however this difference did not reach statistical significance. Both tested dosage levels exhibited analgesic effect in the acetic-induced writhing test, resulting in a reduction of writhes by 36.71% and 68.71% respectively, compared to the normal control. Therefore, based on the aforementioned discovery, it can be inferred that the tested formulation exhibits antipyretic and analgesic properties.