Diuretic Activity of Root and Bark of Erythrina Indica Lam

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to investigate diuretic effect of aqueous and methanol extracts of the dried seeds of erythrina indica in normal rats. Method: Aqueous and methanol extracts of erythrina indica seeds were administered to experimental rats orally at doses of 25 and 30 ml/kg p.o. Furosemide (10 mg/kg) was used as positive control in the study. The diuretic effect of the extracts was evaluated by measuring urine volume, sodium and potassium content, conductivity and chloride content. Result: Urine volume was significantly increased by the two doses of aqueous and methanol extracts from root and bark of erythrina indica in comparison to control group. While the excretion of sodium was also increased by both extracts, potassium excretion was only increased by the aqueous extract at a dose of. 25 ml/kg. There was no significant change in the conductivity and pH of urine after administration of the erythrina indica extracts. The diuretic effect of the extracts was comparable to that of the reference standard (Furosemide). Conclusion: We can conclude that aqueous and methanol extracts of erythrina indica produced diuretic effect. Present study provides a quantitative basis for explaining the diuretic use of erythrina indica as a diuretic agent. INTRODUCTION: Erythrina indica is a medium-sized, spiny, deciduous tree normally growing to 6-9 m (occasionally 28 m) tall and 60 cm .Young stems and branches are thickly armed with stout conical spines up to 8 mm long, which fall off after 2-4 years; rarely, a few spines persist and are retained with the corky bark. Bark smooth and green when young, exfoliating in papery flakes, becoming thick, corky and deeply fissured with age. Leaves trifoliate, alternate, bright emerald-green, on long petioles 6-15cm, rachis 5-30 cm long, prickly; leaflets smooth, shiny, broader than long, 8-20 by 5-15 cm, ovate to acuminate with an obtusely pointed end. Leaf petiole and rachis are spiny, flowers in bright pink to scarlet erect terminal racemes 15-20 cm long; stamens slightly protruding from the flower. Fruit a cylindrical torulose pod, green, turning black and wrinkly as they ripen, thin-walled and constricted around the seeds. There are 1-8 smooth, oblong, dark red to almost black seeds per pod. Erythrina comes from the Greek word ‘eruthros’ meaning red, alluding to the showy red flowers of the Erythrina species. It is used traditionally for the treatment of liver trouble, joint pain, dysentery, convulsion, as a diuretic, laxative and an Anthelmintic . A perusal of literature revealed that its diuretic eff ects remain tobe studied. Herein, we report the diuretic effect of the ethanol, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extract of leaves of Erythrina indica in albino rats.