Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry ISSN 2089-6514 (paper) 

Volume 14, Number 2, October 2025 | Pages: 1009-1013 | DOI: 10.14421/biomedich.2025.142.1009-1013 ISSN 2540-9328 (online) 
 

 

 

 

Antipyretic Activity of Stembark Extract of Mammea africana in Rats 

 
Jude E. Okokon1*, Chinyelu C. Osigwe2, John A Udobang3, Uwaeme Ugonma Florence2 

1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria  
2Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Madonna University, Elele, Rivers State, Nigeria. 

3Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria. 

 

 

Corresponding author* 
judeefiom@yahoo.com 

 

 
Manuscript received: 02 September, 2025. Revision accepted: 27 October, 2025. Published: 30 October, 2025. 

 

 

Abstract 

 

Mammea africana Sabine (Guttiferae), is a tree plant whose parts are variously used locally for the treatment of various diseases such as 

malaria and fever among others. The stembark extract of M. africana (30 -90 mg/kg) was investigated for antipyretic activity in rats using 

different experimental models; amphetamine, dinitrophenol and yeast-induced pyrexia. The extract exerted prominent inhibition of 

pyrexia on amphetamine, dinitrophenol and yeast -induced pyrexia. Inhibition was significant (p<0.05–0.001) from 3 to 5 h post- 

administration of extract and in a dose-dependent fashion. The antipyretic effects of this plant may in part be mediated through the 

chemical constituents of the plant. The results of this investigation validate the ethnomedical uses of this plant in the treatment of febrile 

conditions. 

 

Keywords: Mammea Africana; Medicinal plant; antipyretic; fever. 

 

 

INTRODUCTION 
 

Mammea africana Sabine (Guttiferae) (syn. Ochrocarpus 

africana Oliv.) (M. africana), widely distributed in 

tropical Africa, is a tall tree of 50 to 100 feet high whose 

bark is often yellow with pale scales and resinous yellow 

sap (Hutchison and Daziel, 1958). The stembark of the 

plant is traditionally used by the Ibibios, of Niger Delta 

region of Nigeria, in the treatment of a number of 

diseases such as malaria related fever, diabetes, microbial 

infections and mental disorders. Traditionally, the 

stembark is used also to treat stomach pains, rheumatism 

pains, scabies, cough and hypertension (Raponda-Walker 

and Silans, 1961; Adjanohoun et al., 1996). The 

stembark extract which possesses cytotoxic activity, in 
vitro (Chapius et al., 1988; Okokon et al., 2012)., has 

been reported to contain cytotoxic coumarins with anti-

microbial activity against Staphylococcus aureus 

(Ouahouo et al., 2004). Other pharmacological activities 

reported on the stembark include; anti-plasmodial 

(Okokon et al., 2006), cardioprotective (Okokon and 

Antia, 2007), anti-diabetic, hypolipidaemic (Okokon et 
al., 2007; Tchamadeu et al., 2010), vasorelaxant 

(Dongmo et al.,2007), anti-hypertensive (Nguelefack-

Mbuyo et al., 2008), anti inflammatory, analgesic 

(Okokon et al., 2009), antioxidant (Nguelefack-Mbuyo et 

al., 2010), anti-diarrheal, anti-ulcer (Okokon et al., 

2010), immunomodulatory,  anti-lesihmanial (Okokon et 

al.,2012), depressant and anti-convulsant (Okokon and 

Davies, 2014), nephroprotective (Okokon and Bawo, 

2014), hepatoprotective (Okokon et al., 2016), genotoxic 

and cytotoxic (Ebong et al., 2022) activities. 

Phytochemical study on the stembark reported the 

presence of 5,-7-dihydroxy-8-(12- methyl-butryl) – 4 –N 

-pentylcoumarins and mesuxanthone B (Carpenter et al., 

1970;1971; Cricton and Waterman, 1978), 4-phenyl and 

4- alkylcoumarins (Games, 1972). While alkaloids have 

been reported to be absent in the entire plant parts 

(Gartlans et al., 1980). We report in this study the 

antipyretic activities of the stembark extract. 

 

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS 
 

Plants collection 

The plant materials, Mammea africana (stembark), were 

collected in Anwa forest in Uruan area, Akwa Ibom 

State, Nigeria in January 2022. Identification and 

authentication of the plant was carried out by a 

taxonomist of Department of Botany and Ecological 

Studies, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria.  

 

Extraction 

Pieces of the stembark were washed and shade-dried for 

two weeks. The dried plants’ materials were further 

chopped into small pieces and reduced to powder using 

electric grinder. The powdered material (1.5 kg) was 

macerated for 72 h in 50% ethanol. This was thereafter 

https://doi.org/10.14421/biomedich.2025.142.1009-1013


 

 
 

1010 Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry 14 (2), 2025: 1009-1013 

 

 

filtered and the liquid filtrate was concentrated and 

evaporated to dryness in vacuo 40˚C using a rotary 

evaporator (BuchiLab, Switzerland). The extract was 

stored in a refrigerator at -4˚C, until used for the 

proposed experiments. 

 

Animals  

Albino Wistar rats (122-1136 g) of either sex were 

obtained from the University of Uyo animal house. They 

were maintained on standard animal pellets and water ad 
libitum. Permission and approval for animal studies were 

obtained from the College of Health Sciences Animal 

Ethics committee, University of Uyo.  

 

Evaluation of antipyretic activity of the Mammea 

africana stembark extract on D-amphetamine-induced 

pyrexia 

The albino rats that were used in this experiment were 

fasted for 24 hours but allowed water ad libitum before 

the experiment commenced. They were randomized into 

groups of 5 rats each according to their weights. The 

initial basal temperatures of the rats were taken after 

which pyrexia was induced by intraperitoneal 

administration of amphetamine (5 mg/kg, i.p) to the 

animals. Pyrexia was allowed to develop within 30 min 

post administration of amphetamine. At the confirmation 

of temperature increase of at least 1℃ by monitoring the 

rectal temperature, the leaf extract was respectively 

administered to the different groups of rats at 30, 60 and 

90 mg/kg orally and aspirin (100 mg/kg) and distilled 

water (10 mL/kg, orally) were administered respectively 

to the positive and negative control groups of rats. Rectal 

temperatures of the animals were monitored at an hour 

interval for 5 h (Edem et al., 2023). 

 

Effect of Mammea africana stembark extract on 2,4-

Dinitrophenol (DNP)-induced pyrexia 

The albino rats that were used in this experiment were 

fasted for 24 hours but allowed water ad libitum before 

the experiment commenced. They were randomized into 

groups of 5 rats each according to their weights. The 

initial basal temperatures of the rats were taken after 

which pyrexia was induced by intraperitoneal 

administration of dinitrophenol (DNP) (10 mg/kg, i.p.) to 

the animals. Pyrexia was allowed to develop within 30 

min post administration of dinitrophenol. At the 

confirmation of temperature increase of at least 1℃ by 

monitoring the rectal temperature, the leaf extract was 

respectively administered to the different groups of rats 

at 30, 60 and 90 mg/kg orally and aspirin (100 mg/kg) 

and distilled water (10 mL/kg, orally) were administered 

respectively to the positive and negative control groups 

of rats. Rectal temperatures of the animals were 

monitored at an hour interval for 5 h (Edem et al., 2023). 

 

 

Effect of Mammea africana stembark extract on yeast-

induced pyrexia 

In this experiment, 24 hours fasted adult albino rats of 

both sexes allowed water ad libitum were randomized 

into groups of 5 rats each. At zero hour, the basal rectal 

temperature of the rats were taken using digital clinical 

thermometer. Thereafter, each animal was administered 

subcutaneously with 20% W/V aqueous suspension of 

yeast at a volume of 10 mL/kg (Okokon and Nwafor, 

2010; Edem et al., 2023). The temperatures of rats were 

monitored at one hour post yeast injection.  Rats with 

temperature increase of 1˚C were selected and grouped 

for the study. The extract understudy was administered 

orally after the pyrogen at doses of 30, 60 and 90 mg/kg 

to respective groups of rats. The control group received 

distilled water (10 ml/kg) and the reference group was 

administered with ASA (100 mg/kg) both orally. The 

rectal temperatures of the groups were taken at 1h 

interval for 5 h. 

 

Statistical analysis 

Data collected were analyzed using one way analysis of 

variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s multiple 

comparison post-test (Graph pad prism software Inc. La 

Jolla, CA, USA). Values were expressed as mean ± SEM 

and significance relative to control were considered at 

p˂0.05. 

 

 

RESULTS  
 

Effect of stembark extract of Mammea africana   on 

D-amphetamine induced pyrexia 

The antipyretic effect of the stembark extract on 

amphetamine- induced pyrexia is shown in Table 1.  The 

stembark extract (30-90 mg/kg), in the presence of 

amphetamine, demonstrated significant (p<0.05 – 0.001) 

lowering of body temperatures of the extract- treated rats 

when compared with the control. These effects were 

pronounced and sustained from 2- 5 h post treatment 

with the extract. The body temperature lowering 

activity of the extract was not comparable to that of 

the standard drug, ASA,100 mg/kg (Table 1). 

 

Effect of ethanol stembark extract of Mammea 

africana on 2,4-dinitronitrophenol (DNP)-induced 

pyrexia in rats 

The stembark extract of M. africana (30-90 mg/kg) 

demonstrated significant (p<0.05–0.001) dose-

dependent lowering of temperature in DNP-induced 

pyretic rats. The temperature lowering effect was, 

however, significant (p<0.05–0.001) and sustained from 

4 - 5 h in all the extract-treated groups. The effect of 

the highest dose (90 mg/kg) was strong but not 

comparable to that of the standard drug, ASA, 100 

mg/kg (Table 2). 

 



 

 
 

 Okokon et al. – Antipyretic Activity of Stembark Extract of Mammea africana in Rats  1011 
 

 

Effect of stembark extract of M. africana on yeast-

induced pyrexia in rats 

Treatment of rats with yeast-induced elevated body 

temperature with stembark extract of M. africana (30-

90 mg/kg) caused significant (p<0.05-0.001) lowering of 

body temperature of rats elevated by the 

administration of yeast. The standard drug, ASA,100 

mg/kg, lowered the temperature significantly(p<0.05) 

when relative to the control group (Table 3). The 

activity of the highest dose (90 mg/kg) of the extract 

was lower compared to that of the standard drug, 

ASA,100 mg/kg (Table 3) 
 

 

Table 1. Antipyretic effect of Mammea africana stembark extract on D-amphetamine-induced pyrexia. 

 

Treatment/ 

Dose(mg/kg) 

Time Intervals (hrs) 

Basal Temp 0 0.5 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 

Control 34.60±0.35 35.94±0.13 36.23±0.17 36.61±0.26 36.77±0.15 37.25±0.38 37.20±0.16 37.`5±0.44 

Extract 30 34.78±0.68 35.71±0.53 35.63±0.16 35.50±0.14 35.33±0.13a 35.28±0.15b 35.33±0.36a 34.68±0.13a 

Extract 60 35.33±0.76 36.56±0.15 35.91±0.31 35.44±0.33 35.30±0.16a 35.01±0.60a 35.13±0.29b 34.70±0.26b 

Extract 90 34.28±0.18 35.42±0.28 35.33±0.18 35.22±0.26 34.90±0.27a 34.65±0.33b 34.30±0.22b 34.23±0.21c 

ASA     100 35.04±0.11 36.11±0.31 35.50±0.12 35.03±0.14 34.86±0.12a 34.54±0.28c 34.11±0.15c 33.89±0.24c 

Values are expressed as mean ± SEM. Significance relative to control. ap<0.05; bp<0.01; cp<0.001.  n = 6. 

 

 
Table 2. Antipyretic effect of Mammea africana stembark extract on Dinitrophenol-induced pyrexia. 
 

Treatment/ 

Dose(mg/kg) 

Time Intervals (hrs) 

Basal Temp 0 0.5 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 

Control 34.42±0.34 36.33±0.21 36.46±0.12 36.54±0.18 36.60±0.54 36.48±0.15 36.20±0.25 36.24±0.12 

Extract 30 34.16±0.20 36.15±0.16 36.33±0.24 36.29±0.38 35.97±0.20 35.35±0.42 34.50±0.26a 34.05±0.54b 

Extract 60 34.55±0.12 36.36±0.22 36.25±0.22 36.16±0.17 35.81±0.37 35.23±0.23 34.32±0.24a 33.76±0.16b 

Extract 90 35.11±0.32 36.86±0.54 36.20±0.18 35.83±0.35 35.31±0.47 34.86±0.31 33.55±0.28c 33.22±0.19c 

ASA     100 35.16±0.12 36.91±0.20 36.12±0.26 35.65±0.29 35.10±0.15 34.59±0.12a 33.40±0.12c 33.12±0.26c 

Values are expressed as mean ± SEM. Significance relative to control. ap<0.05; bp<0.01; cp<0.001.  n = 6 

 

 
Table 3. Antipyretic effect of Mammea africana stembark extract on yeast-induced pyrexia. 

 

Treatment/ 

Dose(mg/kg) 

Time Intervals (hrs) 

Basal Temp 0 0.5 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 

Control 34.38±0.18 35.60±0.21 36.65±0.15 36.85±0.31 37.20±0.19 37.41±0.26 37.76±0.18 37.44±0.16 

Extract 30 34.74±0.26 36.02±0.18 36.24±0.20 36.52±0.34 36.26±0.23 36.11±0.25 36.02±0.26 35.92±0.26 

Extract 60 35.08±0.15 36.14±0.78 36.30±0.12 36.10±0.43 36.01±0.10 35.91±0.14a 35.65±0.17b 35.21±0.18c 

Extract 90 35.10±0.22 36.13±0.28 36.20±0.29 36.15±0.22 35.88±0.31a 35.55±0.16a 35.33±0.12b 35.25±0.20c 

ASA     100 35.20±0.17 36.29±0.18 36.35±0.32 36.10±0.17 35.78±0.25a 35.42±0.26c 35.30±0.14c 35.05±0.26c 

Values are expressed as mean ± SEM. Significance relative to control. ap<0.05; bp<0.01; cp<0.001.  n = 6. 

 

 

DISCUSSION 

In this study, the stembark extract of M. africana was 

investigated for anti-pyretic activity using standard 

experimental models. The extract inhibited 

significantly amphetamine, dinitrophenol and yeast-

induced pyrexia. Amphetamine causes rise in body 

temperature by acting on the brain, causing the release of 

biogenic amines from their storage sites in nerve 

terminals. Thus resulting in elevated level of cAMP and 

subsequent increased synthesis of prostaglandins from 

arachidonic acids produced in neurons by receptor- 

mediated hydrolysis of phospholipids (Westfall and 

Westfall, 2006). This leads to hyperthermia. 
Dinitrophenol causes hyperthermia by uncoupling 

oxidative phosphorylation resulting in the release of 

calcium from mitochondrial stores and also blocks 

calcium reuptake. This results in increased level of 

intracellular calcium, muscle contraction and 

hyperthermia (Kumar et al., 2002). Yeast induces 

hyperthermia by stimulating the synthesis of 

prostaglandins (Al-Ghamdi, 2001), in the 

hypothalamus. The extract may have reduced pyrexia 

by reducing brain concentration of prostaglandin E2 

especially in the hypothalamus through its action on 

COX-2 or by enhancement of the production of the 

body’s own antipyretic substances such as vasopressin 

and arginine (Chandrasekharan, 2002). The 

hypothermic activity of the extract could have also 

been mediated by vasodilatation of superficial blood 
vessels leading to increased dissipation of heat 

following resetting of hypothalamic temperature 

control center (Rang et al., 2007). This action may be 



 

 
 

1012 Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry 14 (2), 2025: 1009-1013 

 

 

due to the phytochemical compounds in this plant. 

Therefore, the temperature lowering activity of the 

extract may not be unconnected with the inhibition of 

one or combination of the above-mentioned 

mechanisms. The phytochemical compounds in this 

plant may in part be responsible for the observed 

antipyretic activities of the stembark extract.  

 

 

CONCLUSION 
 

From the results of this study, the stembark extract of 

Mammea africana possesses antipyretic activity which is 

due to the activities of its phytochemical constituents. 

 

 

Acknowledgements: The authors are grateful to staff 

Animal House of Pharmacology and Toxicology 

Department, University of Uyo for providing technical 

assistance. 

 

Authors’ Contributions: JEO,CCO, JAU - Research 

concept and design; JEO, CCO,UUF Animal studies, 

JEO,JAU-Data analysis and interpretation; JEO,UUF 

Writing the article. JEO,CCO and UUF read and 

approved the final manuscript. 

 

Competing Interests: The authors have not declared any 

conflict of interests. 

 

 

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