Diuretic Activity of Cinnamomum tamala Leaves
*Corresponding Author E-mail: bendrearvind@yahoo.co.in
ABSTRACT:
The decoction of the leaves of Cinamomum tamala of family Lauraceae widely used in the field of medicine for the treatment of vitiated conditions of vata, diarrhea, proctitis, proctalgia. Preliminary phytochemical investigation of alcoholic and water extracts of the leaves of Cinnamomum tamala showed the presence of flavonoids, sterols, tannins and glycosides.
The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Cinnamomum tamala leaves were investigated for its diuretic activity tested in albino rats. Results revealed that both the alcoholic and aqueous extracts showed significant diuretic activity at a dose of 500mg/kg body weight by increasing the total volume of urine and concentrations of potassium and sodium salts in urine as compared to the standard drug frusemide.
KEYWORDS: Cinamomum tamala, diuretic, frusemide, albino rats.
INTRODUCTION:
Cinamomum tamala is tropical and subtropical shrub with leathery evergreen leaves, tree about 8-meter tall. Leaves simple, short stalk leathery, ovate-lanceolate, long pointed 10-15 cm long with 3 conspicuous nearly parallel veins arising from near the base, bright pink when young in spring aromatic when crushed. Flowers pale yellow and axillary’s-branched clusters. Fruits are ovoid, drupe, black, and succulen1, 2.
Leaves are bitter, carminative, sweet, aromatic, thermogenic, alexeteric, anthelmintic, stimulant tonic and diuretic. Bark is useful in diarrhoea, flatulenc and nausea. In India leaves and bark both are used in spices.
The present investigation was undertaken to confirm the traditional medicinal use of plant.
The leaves of Cinamomum tamala were collected from the local market in the month of November and the same was authenticated by Dr. Gopal Achraya, HOD of Department of Botany C. T. Bora College, Shirur.
The dried powdered leaves were exhaustively extracted with 95 % ethanol in soxhlet apparatus and also macerated with water for 7 days. The extracts were further concentrated in vacuum under pressure using rotary flash evaporator and dried in desiccator.
Both the extracts were suspended in water using 1% twen-80 and subjected to diuretic activity. Acute toxicity studies were conducted by using albino rats of either sex weighing between 20 and 25mg and of 90 days. The animals were fasted over night prior to the experimental procedure. The method of up and Down or ‘Staircase’ was used to determine the dose. 1% twen-80 was used as a vehicle to suspend the extracts. Wistar strain albino rats (150-200 g) of either sex were grouped into four groups of four animals each and maintained on standard diet and water.
The effect of both alcoholic and aqueous extracts was evaluated according to the method of Lipschitz.3, 4, 5 Frusemide was employed as a standard diuretic agent (100 mg/kg) body weight male albino rats of Wistar strain weighing between 150-200 g were divided in to four groups of four each. The rats were deprived of food and water 18 hrs prior to the experiment. They were then administered with normal saline at the proportion of 25mL/Kg body weight. The test drugs and standard diuretic frusemide were administered to the animals of respective group in same total volume of normal saline. Each group was placed in metabolic cage. The urine was collected after five hours of dose administration. The bladder was emptied by pulling the base of tail of each rat. The total volume of urine collected, measured and presented in Table I.
DISCUSSION:
The pharmacological screening of the ethanolic and aqueous extracts revealed that both extracts have diuretic activity. Ethanol extract exhibited maximum diuretic activity among the test groups.
|
Treatment |
Dose mg/kg |
Urine Volume in ml |
Concentration of extracted ions |
|||
|
Na+ |
K+ |
Cl- |
Na+/K+ ratio |
|||
|
Normal Saline |
- |
11.8 |
15 |
55.4 |
42 |
0.270 |
|
Frusemide (Standard) |
100 |
32 |
100 |
34.8 |
129 |
2.873 |
|
Aqueous extract |
250 |
12.8 |
105 |
38.6 |
60 |
2.720 |
|
Aqueous extract |
500 |
14.5 |
120 |
42 |
64 |
2.855 |
|
Alcoholic extract |
250 |
13.2 |
60.3 |
32.5 |
70 |
1.857 |
|
Alcoholic extract |
500 |
18.4 |
64 |
38.1 |
74 |
1.679 |
Taking frusemide output as 100 percent, the two extract showed diuretic activities as follows-
Ethanol 94.89%
Aqueous 92%
Hence, from the above results we can conclude that both alcoholic and aqueous extracts showed significant diuretic activity by increasing the total urine output and increased excretion of sodium and potassium salts, comparable to the standard drug, frusemide.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The authors are thankful to Principal Prof. D.G. Baheti and management of the institute for providing necessary facilities to carry out this work. The authors are also thankful to Prof. Kalaskar M.G. for his kind co-operation.
REFERENCES:
1. Anonymous, “The Wealth of India”, Volume VII, CSIR, New Delhi, 2001, p.580.
2. P.K.Warrer, VPK. Nambiar, C.Ramankutty; “Indian Medicinal Plant” Volume-II, Orient Longman Publisher; p.84.
3. Vogel G.H., VogelW.H, Drug Discovery and Evaluation, Pharmacological Analysis, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heideberg, Germany, 2nd edition 1997,p.323-324.
4. Singh G.K. Dixit V.K., Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory activity of Trianthema portukacastum Linn, Indian Drugs, 1992,30(4) 170-172.
5. Arasan Elayaraja, Singaravelu Kathirvelu, Sahul Mohideen, Indian J. Nat. Prod. 23(3) 21 p.21-24
Received on 06.06.2009 Modified on 03.08.2009
Accepted on 10.09.2009 © RJPT All right reserved
Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 3(1): Jan.-Mar. 2010; Page 289-290