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Original Research Article
Phytochemical Screening
and Evaluation of the Diuretic Activity of Aqueous
Methanol Extract from Aerial Parts of Mentha viridis
Linn (Labiatae) in Albino Rats
Muhammad Majid Aziz1,
Najam Us Saqib2, Naveed Akhtar1,
Hafiz Muhammad Asif3*, Muhammad Jamshaid4,
Sabira Sultana1 and Kamran Bashir1
1Faculty of Pharmacy and
Alternative Medicine, The Islamia University of
Bahawalpur, 2Federal Inspector of Drugs,
Cabinet Division, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad,
3Department of Eastern Medicine & Surgery,
Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, The University of
Poonch, Rawalakot, AJ&K, 4Faculty of
Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Johar Town
Lahore, Pakistan
*For correspondence:
Email:
doctor.asif@yahoo.com; Tel:
+92 3346911256
Received: 10 October 2013
Revised accepted: 18 April
2014
Tropical
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, July 2014;
13(7): 1121-1125
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v13i7.16
Abstract
Purpose: To
evaluate the diuretic effect of the aqueous methanol
extract of Mentha viridis Linn (Labiatae) in Albino
rats.
Methods: The
aqueous-methanol extract of Mentha viridis was
administered to experimental rats at doses of 30, 50 and
100 mg/kg, (i.p.) Furosemide 10 mg/kg (i.p.) and normal
saline were used as reference drug and control,
respectively. Diuretic effect was examined immediately
after injecting the drugs and on an hourly basis by
measuring the urine volume of the rats, sodium and
potassium content and pH of the urine, comparing with
that of the control. Preliminary phytochemical analysis
of the extract was carried out to determine major
constituents.
Results: The extract induced diuretic
effects and induced electrolytes excretion in a dose-
dependent manner in comparison with control. The extract
(100 and 50 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.01) increased
the volume of urine in comparison to control group.
Excretion of potassium and sodium also significantly (p<
0.05) increased following extract administration.
However, there was no significant change in the pH of
urine samples of the extract-treated group compared with
control. The diuretic effect of extract was comparable
to that of the reference drug (furosemide).
Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of
alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and saponins.
Conclusion: The results indicate that the
aqueous-methanol extract of Mentha viridis produced a
diuretic effect that was comparable with that of the
reference diuretic, furosemide, thus lending support for
the traditional use of Mentha viridis as a diuretic
agent.
Keywords: Diuretic activity, Potassium, Sodium, Urine
volume, Mentha viridis, Furosemide, Phytochemical
screening |
