Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the methanol root extracts of some selected Nigerian medicinal plants. (September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ishola, Ismail O.; Agbaje, Esther O.; Adeyemi, Olufunmilayo O.; Shukla, Rakesh
• Is Part Of: Pharmaceutical biology. Volume 52:Number 9(2014:Sep.)
• Page Start: 1208
• Page End: 1216
• Publication Date: 2014-09
• Subjects: Pharmacognosy -- Periodicals; Materia medica, Vegetable -- Periodicals; 615.321
• DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2014.880487
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1388-0209

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Context:</italic> The roots of <italic>Alafia barteri</italic> Oliver (Apocynaceae), <italic>Combretum mucronatum</italic> Schumach (Combretaceae) and <italic>Capparis thonningii</italic> Schum (Capparaceae) are used in Traditional African Medicine to alleviate painful and inflammatory conditions.</p> <p> <italic>Objective</italic>: This study investigated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the methanol root extracts of <italic>Alafia barteri</italic> (MeAB), <italic>C. mucronatum</italic> (MeCM), and <italic>Capparis thonningii</italic> (MeCT).</p> <p> <italic>Materials and methods:</italic> Analgesic activity of the extracts (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p.o. 1 h) was evaluated using acetic acid-, formalin- and hot plate-induced pain while anti-inflammatory actions (100 or 200 mg/kg) were investigated using the carrageenan- and xylene-induced edema tests.</p> <p> <italic>Results: MeAB, MeCM</italic>, and MeCT (200 mg/kg) inhibited acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction by 55.07, 46.67, and 47.25%, respectively. In the formalin test, the index of pain inhibition of early and late phases was, respectively, 47.83 and 81.98% for MeAB, 56.10 and 63.81% for MeCM, and 42.84 and 63.29% for MeCT (200 mg/kg). MeAB and MeCT pretreatments significantly increased the reaction time by 46.67 and 25.53%, respectively, 120 min post-treatment in the hot-plate test. Naloxone (5 mg/kg, s.c.) pretreatment 15 min before extract administration, significantly (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05) reversed the analgesic effect of MeAB and MeCT in the formalin test. <italic>MeAB, MeCM, </italic> and MeCT showed significant anti-inflammatory activity with 60.44 and 30.39%, 63.74 and 58.08%, and 50.55 and 77.84% (200 mg/kg, 4 h), respectively, inhibition of paw and ear edema.</p> <p> <italic>Discussion and conclusion:</italic> The analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of MeAB and MeCT involve an interaction with opioid pathway and/or inhibition of chemical mediators of pain and inflammation.</p> </abstract>