iMedPub Journals www.imedpub.com American Journal of Ethnomedicine ISSN 2348-9502 2017 Vol. 4 No. 1:5 Research Article 1 © Under License of Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License | This article is available in: htp://www.imedpub.com/ethnomedicine/ DOI: 10.21767/2348-9502.100005 Pallie MS 1 , Perera PK 1 , Goonasekara CL 2 , Kumarasinghe KMN 2 and Arawwawala LDAM 3 * 1 Department of Dravyaguna Vignana, Institute of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka 2 Department of Pre-clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, General Sir John Kotelawela Defense University, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka 3 Industrial Technology Institute, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka *Corresponding author: Arawwawala LDAM  menuka@iti.lk Industrial Technology Insttute, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka. Fax: +94-112379848 Citation: Pallie MS, Perera PK, Goonasekara CL, Kumarasinghe KMN, Arawwawala LDAM (2017) Tragia spp: Assessment of Diuretc Actvity and Standardizaton of the Whole Plant. Am J Ethnomed. Vol. 4 No. 1:5 Introducton Medicinal plants play an important role for the treatment of various diseases such as diabetes, infammaton, gastric ulcers, fever, urinary disorders, etc. Even at present a major amount of synthetc drugs in the world are derived from plant materials. In WHO’s essental medicine list, 11% out of the total 252 drugs are derived exclusively from plant origin [1]. At present herbal remedies are becoming more popularized because it is a well known fact that natural herbs are safer than synthetc medicatons. In Sri Lanka, Tragia spp. is used as a substtute for Tragia involucrata L. Both plants are called “Welkahambiliya” in Sinhala, and “Indian stnging netle” in English. Tragia spp. and T. involucrata are extensively used as medicinal plants in Sri Lankan medicinal systems including Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and traditonal treatments. Both Tragia species and T. involucrata have morphological similarites and diferences. T. involucrata is a vine which grows on a support whereas Tragia spp. grows as a shrub and then the apical bud tends to vine around a support. Tragia spp. leaves are linear than that of T. involucrata. Both plants are perennial, hispid herbs, with scatered stnging Tragia spp: Assessment of Diuretc Actvity and Standardizaton of the Whole Plant Abstract Background: Due to several toxic efects of synthetc diuretcs drugs, people relay of medicinal plants as a source of diuretcs. Hence, the efcacy of Tragia spp. which belonging to plant family Euphorbiaceae is an important medicinal plant used as a diuretc in Sri Lanka. Objectve: The aim of the present study was to investgate diuretc actvity and standardize whole plant of Tragia spp. Materials and methods: Plant extract (doses of 550, 1100, 1650, 2200 mg/kg), vehicle (2 ml of distlled water), reference drug (furosemide at 13 mg/kg) were given orally to separate groups of Wistar male rats (N = 6). In order to assess the diuretc actvity, urine output was measured hourly for fve hours. Na+ and K+ content, specifc gravity, pH of urine measured in all groups. Whole plant of Tragia spp. was standardized in terms of physico-chemical parameters, phytochemical screening and antoxidant actvity. Results: Results revealed that urine output of rats were signifcantly (P<0.05) increased when increasing the dose of Tragia spp. extract. Diuretc actvity was initated in the frst hour and declined with tme. Diuresis was maximum at the 1 h and at a dose of 2200 mg/kg urine output was signifcantly (P<0.05) higher than the reference drug. Tragia spp. extract also triggered a clear increase in Na+ and K+ levels and decreased pH levels in urine. Physico-chemical parameters, phytochemical screening and antoxidant actvity were determined in order to standard Tragia spp. Conclusion: Tragia spp. exhibit marked diuretc actvity and its mechanism of acton is similar to a loop diuretc drug. Further, establishment of standardizaton parameters of Tragia spp. will help in correct identfcaton and prevent adulteraton. Keywords: Tragia spp.; Diuresis; Phytochemicals; Standardizaton Received: April 07, 2017, Accepted: April 28, 2017, Published: May 04, 2017