PRECLINICAL STUDY ON URINARY TRACT INFECTED EXPERIMENTAL RATS TREATED SPHAERANTHUS INDICUS L.

A model of ascending Urinary tract infection (UTI) in rats was developed to study the significance of antibacterial activity of Sphaeranthus indicus L. and compared with standard antibiotic ofloxacin as a positive control. This plant used in folk medicine as a remedy for urinary tract infections is belong to Asteraceae family. Outbred female wistar rats were used throughout the study and Escherichia coli was used as pathogen isolated from the urine of patients suffering from urinary tract infections. Methanolic extract (300 mg/mL) and aqueous extract (300 mg/mL) of Sphaeranthus indicus were administered orally for 15 days. After 15 days of treatment of the infected rats with herb extract, bacterial count in the urine, immunoglobulin G and M levels were estimated, and his pathological changes of kidney, liver, and urinary tract were observed. In the disease control group bacterial infection has increased than that of the normal control group. In the treated group with aqueous extract (300 mg/mL) & methanolic extract (300 mg/mL) bacterial count has decreased considerably. There was clear dose-response of two extracts. In the study, the disease control group’s immunity level has decreased than the normal control group. The rats treated with aqueous and methanolic extracts (300 mg/mL) of Sphaeranthus indicus has shown significant difference when compared with a disease control group. In histopathological observation, the disease control group showed considerable damage in the kidney and urinary bladder histology. This observation is an indication of very effective kidney and urinary bladder protection against bacterial infection by Sphaeranthus indicus.