Phytochemical and acute toxicity screening, in vivo antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity of Morinda citrifolia seeds extracts

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) seed extracts in animal models alongside phytochemical and acute toxicity assessments. The aqueous extract was subjected to phytochemical screening using established methods, and the acute toxicity was determined using an adaption of Lorke’s method. The powdered sample was successively extracted to obtain MC-HEX, MC-DCM, MC-DCM/ME, and MC-Met crude extracts. The antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts were evaluated in vivo in albino rats. The in vivo antipyretic activity was assessed using a brewer’s yeast-induced pyrexia model. Data were expressed as the mean ± S.E.M, and ANOVA was used to compare differences between the treatment groups and negative control. Phytochemical tests revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins in plant extract. Acute toxicity tests showed no mortality or observable toxic effects at doses up to 5000 mg/kg. The results demonstrated that MC-DCM and MC-ME extracts at 200 mg/kg bw showed significant antipyretic activities compared to the negative control (p<0.05), and also results showed that MC-HEX and MC-ME at 200 mg/kg caused a significant (p < 0.05) percentage inhibition of inflammation in the xylene-induced ear oedema compared to the negative control. Results of the study showed that Noni seed extract possesses significant antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity. These findings highlight that Noni seed extract holds the potential for developing antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agents and alternatives to NSAIDS and steroids. Further studies are warranted to isolate and characterise the active compounds for drug development.