MEDICINAL PLANTS AS A SOURCE OF ANTIPYRETIC AGENT IN TERAI REGION OF WESTERN NEPAL

The study was conducted during 2009-2011 using semi-structured, open-ended questionnaires, informal interviews, and group discussions with traditional healers and senior citizens having thorough knowledge about plants and plant based remedies. During present study ten phytotherapeutic practices for management of different types of fever using 50 plant species as antipyretic agent were identified and documented. These species may be used for the development of new, cheap, and effective antipyretic agent of herbal origin. Further investigation of these plant species for herbal antipyretic agents will require safety and efficacy testing. There is an urgent need to formulate suitable conservation strategies for wildly growing medicinal plants to overcome their depletion from natural resources.


Introduction
Body temperature rises due to derangement of heat regulating mechanism in the brain. The rise in body temperature above 99 o F is called fever. As a person's temperature increases, there is, in general, a feeling of cold. Once the new temperature is reached, there is a feeling of warmth. Fever generally occurs due to infection of micro-organisms that produce pyrogens. These pyrogens act on white blood cell (WBC) which in turn produces endogenous toxins. They act on the anterior hypothalamus and the body temperature is elevated causing fever (Chattergee, 1973). Fever leads to the disturbance of metabolism and it increases blood pressure, pulse rate, cardiac output, respiration rate etc. Most traditional medicine system believes that fever is not a disease in itself but, it is the symptom of some other diseases. The antipyretic agents treat these symptoms and completely eliminate fever. Herbal antipyretic agents are favoured over the chemical ones for their compatibility to the human physiological system, easy availability and the rich knowledge about the traditional healing system.
Herbal care or traditional system of medicine are used throughout the world and from centuries herbs have been the original source for most of the drugs (Maurya and Srivastava, 2011). Medicinal plants contain so many chemical compounds which are the major source of therapeutic agents to cure human diseases. The antipyretic agents are used to eliminate the fever (Chettri, 2004). Though plants are used as a source of antipyretic agent through time immemorial for treating fever, due to discovery of chemical antipyretic agents they were neglected for a long time, but fortunately, due to various reasons peoples are going back to herbal medicines (Graz et al., 2011) including antipyretics.

Materials and Methods:
Ethnobotanical Survey and data collection surveys were made in Rupandehi district of western Nepal during 2009-2011 to collect information regarding usages of medicinal plants and voucher specimens. Field works were conducted in randomly selected 10 villages (Saljhandi, Dudhraksh, Rudr Parroha, Semlar, Motipur, Manpakadi, Sou. This paper can be downloaded online at www.ijasbt.org/ (District Profile of Rupandehi, 2007). The district is bounded by hilly districts (Palpa and Arghakhanchi) of Uttar Pradesh (India) in South, by Nawalparasi district in East and by Kapilvastu district in West (Figure 1). Rupandehi district has a humid tropical climate with maximum C during summer (May-June) December-January) and annual rainfall is about 1250 mm. Geographically it is divided into Chure region (14.5%); Bhabar region (0.6%) and Terai region (84.9%). The climatic condition of the district is tropical type and Sal (Shorea ated along with other. The total population of the district was 7, 08,419 (CBS, 2001 Pharsatikar, P. Amuwa, and Devdaha) in Rupandehi district. Authentic and well (Guruwa) and persons having thorough knowledge about plants and plant based remedies were identified with the help of senior citizens and local administrative officers working in tribal areas. Ethnomedicinal data were collected by semi questionnaires, informal interviews, and group discussion in local language. Questions regarding local name of plant species, growth form and method of collection, storage, conservation needs and efforts; plant parts used, method of crude drug preparation, mode of administration, doses and duration of treatment were included in the questionnaire. Altogether 35 informants were interviewed during the field study.

Preservation of plant specimens:
voucher specimens were brought to the laboratory and processed for herbarium specimen preparation (Rao andSharma, 1990 andWoodland, 1997) and identified with the help of available floras and other potential literatures (Polunin and Stainton, 1984;Stainton, 1988;Noltie, 1994;Rajbhandari, 2001;and Manandhar, 2002) and identified plant names were confirmed through available literatures (Hara Hara and Williams, 1979; Press submitted in the department of Botany, Butwal Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University Nepal for future references. 1: Location of Study area in the map of Nepal and the area where field study conducted Pharsatikar, P. Amuwa, and Devdaha) in Rupandehi district. Authentic and well-known local healer (Guruwa) and persons having thorough knowledge about plants and plant based remedies were identified elp of senior citizens and local administrative officers working in tribal areas. Ethnomedicinal data were collected by semi-structured open-ended questionnaires, informal interviews, and group discussion in local language. Questions regarding local f plant species, growth form and method of collection, storage, conservation needs and efforts; plant parts used, method of crude drug preparation, mode of administration, doses and duration of treatment were included in the questionnaire.
formants were interviewed during the Preservation of plant specimens: The collected voucher specimens were brought to the laboratory and processed for herbarium specimen preparation (Rao andSharma, 1990 andWoodland, 1997) and identified the help of available floras and other potential literatures (Polunin and Stainton, 1984;Stainton, 1988;Noltie, 1994;Rajbhandari, 2001;and Manandhar, 2002) and identified plant names were confirmed through available literatures (Hara et al., 1978(Hara et al., , 1982Hara and Williams, 1979;Press et al., 2000) and submitted in the department of Botany, Butwal Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University Nepal for 1: Location of Study area in the map of Nepal and the area where field study conducted

Results and Discussion
In the present enumeration, data on 50 plant species belonging to 31 families used as antipyretic agents are presented in the Table-1 in the following sequences, scientific name, family, vernacular name in Nepali, Magar, and in Tharu, habit, and voucher number followed by method of crude drug administration. In the present report, decoction means a solution derived from boiling of plant parts with water; infusion means the liquid obtained by soaking the plant parts in hot water; powder means crushing and grinding of shade dried plant parts; paste means crushing of plant parts with water into soft mass; extract denotes the liquid obtained by grinding the plant parts with water and filter them with a fine cloth; while juice signifies the liquid obtained by crushing and pressing the plant parts without water. As for as plant parts used for procurement of ingredients is concerned; leaves are used in majority of cases followed by whole plant (Figure-2). Unsustainable collection of either whole plant or their vegetative and regenerative parts from natural resources reduce the availability of medicinal plants in wild and pose threat to their existence for future use. There is an urgent need to make suitable strategies for conservation of these valuable plant genetic resources by domestication and cultivation. Majority of the plant species used to obtain ingredients belong to herb, followed by tree, shrub, and climber ( Figure-3). Herbs, as a source of medicinal plants are very important as they can be domesticated and cultivated more easily in comparison to other growth forms (Kumar, 2012).
As for as method of processing for crude drug preparation in concerned, majority of the formulations are prepared as decoction followed by juice, infusion, powder, extract and paste (Figure-4). In Majority of cases ingredients are obtained from single plant followed by multiple plant ingredients. Single plant ingredients are very important for further screening leading to identification of new bioactive compounds as antipyretic agents, as it is comparatively easier to isolate phytochemical constituents from single plant ingredient (Saikia et al., 2006.

AGS-182
Juice of aerial parts is given twice a day in chronic fever.  Seed paste along with Luke warm water is given in fever.

Conclusion
This study revealed that the peoples of study area still used traditional medicinal plants for the treatment of different types of fevers. In the present study it was found that a total of 50 plant species belonging to 31 families are utilized in Rupandehi district of western Nepal as a medicine for fever. Considering the plant parts used, over 50% of the plant collections involve destructive practices because of the use of plant parts like whole plant (24%), root (16%), rhizome (8%), stem bark (6%), and tender shoot (6%). This pattern of use poses a definite threat to the genetic stocks and to the diversity of medicinal plants. Therefore, the herbal heritage of this district must be protected for future which may ultimately lead to the developmen molecules for human health as well as national economy. This study revealed that the peoples of study area still used traditional medicinal plants for the treatment of different types of fevers. In the present study it was found that a total of 50 plant species belonging to 31 n Rupandehi district of western Nepal as a medicine for fever. Considering the plant parts used, over 50% of the plant collections involve destructive practices because of the use of plant parts like whole plant (24%), root (16%), rhizome (8%), 6%), and tender shoot (6%). This pattern of use poses a definite threat to the genetic stocks and to the diversity of medicinal plants. Therefore, the herbal heritage of this district must be protected for future which may ultimately lead to the development of new molecules for human health as well as national