Antipyretic activity of Sri Lankan black tea (Camellia sinensis)

Abstract

This study examined the antipyretic activity of Sri Lankan black tea (Camellia sinensis L.) in yeast-induced rat pyrexia model using black tea brew (BTB) of high grown Dust grade No: 1 tea. Different doses of B TB (167 mg/ml, equivalent to 3 cups; 501 mg/mL equivalent to 9 cups; and 1336 mg/ml, equivalent to 24 cups), water (control) or paracetomol (200 mg/kg, reference drug) were orally administered to yeast -induced pyretic rats (N 6/group) and their rectal temperature monitored at hourly intervals for 6 h. The results show that all doses of BTB and paracetomol significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed the pyrexiainduced by yeast (low dose upto 2 h, mid dose upto 5 h, high dose upto 4 h and paracetomol upto 4 h). In addition, the mid dose of BTB significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed the intestinal secretion in enteropooiing assay of mice suggesting an impairment of prostaglandin synthesis. It is concluded that Sri Lankan black tea possesses antipyretic activity of moderately long duration in rats and it could play a similar role in humans.