Nutritional Content, Phytochemical Evaluation and Antipyretic Effect of Methanol Leaf Extract of Senna siamea (Kassod tree)

Abstract

Senna siamea is a medicinal plant used locally for the treatment of typhoid fever, jaundice, abdominal pain, menstrual pain, and is also used to reduce sugar level in the blood.The study aimed at phytochemical screening; antipyretic activities of methanol leaf extracts of Senna siamea. Fresh leaf of Senna siamea was air-dried, pulverized and extracted using maceration method of extraction technique with methanol. The percentage proximate analysis was carried out on the dry matter has highest percentage (88.50), carbohydrate has (64.84%), followed by fibre content (10.00%), moisture content (11.50%), ash content (5.00%), protein content (8.66%) and fat or lipid content (1.0%) respectively. The phytochemical studies of the methanol leaf extract of Senna siamea revealed the presence of some chemical compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, tannins, saponins, and terpenoids. The LD50 of the stem bark extract was ≥5000 mg/kg. The percentage changes in average rectal temperature (oC) from induction of pyrexia to 2 hours after treatment with methanol leaf extract of Senna siemea. There was a dose dependent increase in percentage change in percentage change in rectal temperature, with the negative control showing the lowest (0.52%) change in rectal temperature. Extract dose of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg had a percentage decrease in rectal temperature of 0.85%, 2.07% and 3.26% respectively. However, the positive control had the highest percentage change in rectal temperature of 5.28 % when compared to the extract treatments. The leaf extracts decreased the rectal temperature of Brewer-induced pyrexia in albino rats, which was more effective at 200 mg/kg. Thus, this study has scientifically justified that the plant poses a degree of action on central nervous system thereby acting as in suppressing fever. This provides validity for the use of the plant locally for the management and treatment of fever related health problems.