INTRODUCTION:

Diuretics play an important role in situations of fluid overload, like acute and chronic renal failure, hypercalciuria, cirrhosis of liver and also as an antihypertensive agent. A number of diuretics like mannitol, thiazides, frusemide, and ethacrinic acid are used in practice. Still there is a need for more effective and less toxic diuretic. Many indigenous drugs have been claimed to have diuretic effect in Ayurvedic system of medicine but they were not properly investigated^{1, 2}.

Cynodon dactylon Pers. (Family: Graminae, Durba in Bengali, Dhub in Hindi, Bermuda grass in English) is a creeping grass found in warm climates all over the world between 45O south and north altitude. The Cynodon dactylon is available throughout the year; the material is used by the domestic animals as food and for pooja in all parts of India. The juice of the plant is astringent and is applied externally to fresh cuts and wounds. It is also useful in treatment of catarrhal opthalmia, dropsy, hysteria, epilepsy, insanity, chronic diarrhea and dysentery³. The plant is folk remedy for anasarca, calculus, cancer, carbuncles, cough, hypertension, snakebites, stones, gout, fever, skin diseases and rheumatic affections.

It has also antioxidant properties, CNS depressant activities⁴ as antidiabetic, antiviralagent.⁵the rhizome is used as anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antiemitic, purifying agent and also in dysentry⁶.

Literature survey revealed that the plant extract has yet not been screened for its traditional diuretic activity in experimental animals. Therefore the present study was carried out to provide pharmacological evidence for the folklore medicinal consideration of root stalk of grass as diuretic.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:

Plant material:

The plant specimen for proposed study was collected from bank of the river Nethravathi, Bantwal, Karnataka and it was identified and authenticated by Prof. Siddappa, Department of Botany Sree Siddaganga Boys College, Tumkur, Karnataka. The root stalk of Cynodon dactylon were dried under shade, powdered by a cutter mill and was passed through sieve then coarsely powdered and stored in an airtight Container for examination.

Preparation of extract:

About 500gm of powdered root stalk of Cynodon dactylon was extracted with water in a soxhlet apparatus (continuous hot percolation method) then the extract was concentrated.

Animals:

Adult male wistar albino rats, weighing between 175 - 225 gm were acclimatized to laboratory condition for one week and given a standard diet and water.

Treatment

Cumulative volume of urine In ml

Na⁺

K⁺

Cl^-

1 hr

2 hr

3 hr

4 hr

5 hr

6 hr

24 hr

Normal

0.0±

0.016

0.4±

0.0258

0.9±

0.077*

1.2±

0.051**

1.7±

0.051*

2.9±

0.055

4.7±

010

290±

0.730

240±

0.51

1060±0.73

Frusemide

1.0±

0.0516

2.1±

0.0816

4.9±

0.040

6.2± 0.073**

9.4±

0.136*

20.5±

0.182

20.5±

0.18

840±

1.7

582±1

4096±0.51

AECD

0.5±

0.0258

1.2±

0.025*

1.8±

0.055**

2.4±

0.073**

3.86±

0.091

7.56±

0.042

7.5±

0.042**

280±

025*

247±1**

1948±2**

100mg

250mg

0.58±

0.040

1.5±

2.6±

0.025**

4.2±

0.051

6.76±

0.091**

11.5±

0.182**

11.5±

0.18*

376±

0.73

266±2

2228±1**

500mg

0.8±

0.025

1.9±

0.0*

3.5±

0.145

5.9±0.054**

8.0±

0.025

14.3±

0.02

14.3±

0.02**

469±

0.730

292±1**

2615±1

750mg

0.9±

0.057

2.0±

0.025

4.1±

0.042**

6.0±

0.051

8.96±

0.0557

18.0±

0.129**

18.0±

0.12**

493±

0.93**

352±0.51

2830±1**

TABLE NO. 1

Dose ^{5, 6},:

A dose of 100mg, 250mg, 500mg and 750mg/kg body weight were selected as per the previous work

Evaluation ^{7- 11}:

All the animals received a primary dose of normal saline (25ml/kg) orally one hour prior to sample administration. The animals were divided into 6 groups having 6 animals in each group. Out of the 6 groups the 1stgroup served as control and was fed with drinking water orally. The second group received Frusemide orally at the dose of 100mg/kg body weight and served as standard. The third, fourth and fifth groups were received aqueous extract at the dose of 100mg, 250mg, 500mg and 750mg/kg body weight respectively. After administration animals were placed in metabolic cages. Extreme care was taken to avoid the contamination of urine with faecal matter. Urine was collected after drug administration at 1st hr,2nd hr 3rd hr 4th hr 5th hr 6^th hr and 24th hr. urine volume was measured and analyzed for Na⁺,K⁺ (cat ions) and Cl^-(anions) in urine. The concentration estimation of Na⁺,K⁺ were analyzed by flame photometer and the amount of chloride was determined titrimetrically by silver nitrite solution (2.906 g/l, dissolved in double distilled water), using one drop of 5% potassium solution as indicator.

Statistical Analysis:

Statistical analysis was carried out by Student’s t- test and P values less than 0.05 and 0.001 were considered significant.

RESULTS:

The total urine volume of the rats administered aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon was evaluated; particularly the rats which received aqueous extract at the dose of 750mg/kg body weight excreted nearly four folds urine as compared to the control group. The excretion of sodium, potassium and chloride ions also increased. All the results were comparable with those for frusemide and observed significant activity in aqueous extract (Table 1).

DISCUSSION

The vehicle, aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon at different doses and standard drug were given orally and urine collected for 24 hrs was measured and sodium and potassium content of the urine collected for 24 hrs were estimated. The aqueous extract of the Cynodon dactylon has shown significant increase in the urine volume at 100, 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg dose levels as com-pared to control and standard drug treated groups under the same condition. The aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon was found to increase the urinary chloride output (Fig 1) but not potassium at all dose levels (Fig 2).

FIGURE: 1

FIGURE: 2

The literature review supported that the presence of flavonoid, glycosides in Cynodon dactylon and in folklore use mentioned as diuretic^{12, 13}. It is reported previously that the flavonoid, glycosides are endowed with diuretic activity,¹⁴ it may therefore presumed here that the diuretic activity is due to presence of flavonoids in the test extract.

The data in the table 1 allowed with the conclusion that the extracts acts as a diuretic because of increased urinary electrolyte concentration with significant increase in the urinary output.

The increase in the ratio of concentration of excreted sodium and potassium ions for the test extract compared to control indicates that the extract increases chloride and sodium ion excretion to a greater extent than potassium which is essential quality of a good diuretic with lesser hyperkalaemic side effect.

REFERENCES:

1. Samiulla DS, Harish MS. Effect of NR-AG-II (polyherbal formulations) on diuretic activity in rat. Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 2000; 32: 112-113.

2. Bertram G, Katzung. Basic Clinical Pharmacology. 9^th ed. Singapore: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc: 2003: 244-257.

3. Dilip kumar pal. Evaluation of CNS activities of aerial parts of Cynodon dactylon pers in mice. Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutical Drug Research.2008; 65(1): 37-43.

4. Evaluation of antimicrobial activities of Cynodon dactylon. Indian drugs.2004; 41(12): 748-751.

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10. Jain DL, Baheti AM, Parakh SR, Ingale SP, Ingale PL. Study of antacid and diuretic activity of ash and extracts of Musa sapientum L. fruit peel. Phcog Mag. 2007; 3(10): 116-119.

11. Ghule BV, Ghante MH, Yeole PG, Saoji AN. Diuretic activity of Lagenaria siceraria fruit extracts in rats. Indian Journal of pharmaceutical science. 2007; 817-819.

12. Nadakarni KM. Indian metria medica vol I Nadkarni AK popular prakashan, Bombay, pp 424-426.

13. Dhandapani R, Sabna B. Lipid lowering activity of aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon leaves in atherogenic diet induced hyperlipidemic rats. Ind. J, Nat. Prod., 2007; 24(1): 17.

14. Bose A, Gupta JK, Dash GK, Gosh HT, Panda DS. Diuretic and antibacterial activity of aqueous extract of Cleome rutidosperma DC. Indian Journal of pharmaceutical Science. April 2007; 292-294.

Received on . .2008 Modified on . .2008

Research J. Pharm. and Tech.2 (2): April.-June.2009; Page 338-340