Evaluation of Anti-oxidant and Anti-pyretic Activity of Leaf of Dendrobium chrysanthum

This investigation is based on a very remarkable and interesting orchid of the genus Dendrobium widely available in Meghalaya (India) and it is the world second largest orchid genus. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the anti-oxidant and anti-pyretic activity of leaf of Dendrobium chrysanthum. As the plants believed traditionally to have some anti-inflammatory activity used by the rural people of Meghalaya, use of medicinal plants and plants extract for the health procurement has always remain a common choice for the North- eastern people of India since ancient time. The leaf of Dendrobium c. was collected from Shillong, Meghalaya and extraction is done by using methanol as a solvent. The methanol extract found to have the constituents such as carbohydrate, glycoside, alkaloids, phenol and flavonoids. Acute anti-pyretic activity for the extract was investigated in pyrexia rat. Temperature level was determined after 1hours, 2 hours, 4 hours and 6 hours after giving the extract dose of 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg body weight, and it was found to show potent anti-pyretic activity by reducing the temperature in rat. In-vitro anti-oxidant activity was studied by DPPH radical scavenging method of methanolic extract which shows 36.20 as IC50 (µg/ml) whereas the standard Ascorbic acid in the same concentration shows 32.81 IC50 (µg/ml). The obtained result justified the traditional use of Dendrobium c. as anti-pyretic and antioxidant purpose.