Study of the Acute Toxicity and Antipyretic Activity of Talinum triangulare

Abstract

Talinum triangulare is a food plant renowned for its nutritional properties and anti-malarial virtues. Malaria is a disease that manifests itself through phenomena such as inflammation, fever and pain. Thus, this study on the safety and antipyretic activity of the 70% hydro-ethanolic extract, dichloromethane fractions, and total aqueous fractions derived from Talinum triangulare was carried out with a view to expanding the scientific data in favor of this plant's antiplasmodial attributes. To this end, an acute toxicity study was carried out in accordance with OECD 423 protocol using these compounds. To evaluate the toxicity of Talinum triangulare these compounds; they were orally administered to nulliparous, non-pregnant rats at a dose of 2000 mg/Kg body weight and observed for any clinical signs of toxicity. In addition, the antipyretic potential of plant extracts at doses of 100 mg/Kg, 200 mg/Kg and 400 mg/Kg of MC and of paracetamol (reference molecule) at a dose of 150 mg/Kg of MC were determined on rats whose hyperthermia was induced by 20% brewer's yeast. Statistical analyses and graphical representations were performed using Graph Pad Prism software version 8.0.2 (263). All data were normally distributed. Differences between means were determined using Dunnet's comparison test.  No morbidity or mortality was recorded in the animal treated with the plant extract showing that the extracts had no acute toxicity at the tested concentrations. With induced hyperthermia, treated rats showed a significantly lower temperature evolution (p < 0.0001) compared to untreated rats. In addition, no significant difference (p ˃ 0.05) was observed between the temperature evolution of the feverish rats treated with the different extracts of Talinum triangulare compared to the reference fever medication (paracetamol). The antipyretic effects could be attributed to the presence of secondary metabolites in Talinum triangulare fractions and extract, opening up prospects for further therapeutic exploitation.