Santosh B. Dighe

Oxalis corniculata Linn. (Oxalidaceae) is one of the important medicinal plants used traditionally for the treatment of fever, pain and inflammation. The present study was aimed to screen antipyretic activity of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol extracts and β-sitosterol isolated from petroleum ether extract of Oxalis corniculata Linn. The leaves of Oxalis corniculata Linn. was used for successive extraction with increasing polarity solvents. Petroleum ether extract was selected for activity-guided fractionation to isolate β-sitosterol due to its better efficacy than other extracts. Antipyretic activity was done by yeast induced pyrexia method. All the extracts were screened at the dose of 100 mg/kg, i.p. and isolated β-sitosterol was screened at the dose of 10 and 20 mg/kg. The result showed that after five hour of petroleum ether extract (100 mg/kg) administration significant inhibition of pyrexia up to 89.5% was observed. Isolated β-sitosterol 10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p. showed promising antipyretic activity with inhibition of pyrexia by 91.23 and 94.41% respectively. Results are compared with standard drug paracetamol (50 mg/kg i.p.). Thus the present pharmacological screening provides support for the folklore claim of antipyretic activity of Oxalis corniculata Linn.