Effect of Glycyrrhiza Glabra and Vitamin C on Acrylamide-Induced Motor Dysfunction

Introduction: Acrylamide is a chemical compound which can be produced while frying carbohydrates in high- temperatures. Since the neurotoxicity of acrylamide was reported in the previous studies, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of co-administration of Glycyrrhiza Glabra and Vitamin C on acrylamide-induced weight loss and motor deficits in rats. Methods: In this experimental study, 40 Wistar male rats aged 28 days were divided in to five groups of 8 rats including Control, Acrylamide, Acrylamide + Vitamin C, Acrylamide + Glycyrrhiza Glabra and Acrylamide +Vitamin C + Glycyrrhiza Glabra. All treatments were administered for 6 weeks. Thereafter, locomotor activity indices were measured using open field apparatus. In order to analyze the study data, One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test was used. Results: The results showed that motor activity was significantly increased in vitamin C + Glycyrrhiza Glabra group compared with Acryl amide group. While treatment with vitamin C or Glycyrrhiza Glabra alone did not cause any significant changes in locomotor activity indices. In addition, rats treated with the combination of vitamin C and Glycyrrhiza Glabra significantly improved weight gain deficiency induced by Acrylamide . Conclusion: The study findings revealed that the co-administration of vitamin C and Glycyrrhiza Glabra can retard the locomotor dysfunction and improve the weight gain in acrylamide-treated rats

Antinociceptive Effect of Cinnamon Extract on Formalin Induced Pain in Rat

Introduction: Since time memorial, herbal medicine has played an important role for relief of various symptoms including pain relief. Many researches have focused on the curative as well as antinociceptive effects of herbal extracts. Cinnamon Zeylanicum has long been prescribed in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory-related diseases such as rheumatisms, bronchitis and muscle pains. However, there is little if any scientific research indicating this effect Methods: This experimental study was carried out in Shaheed Sadoughi Medical School on 25 Wistar Rats (200-300grams) randomly divided into 5 groups. In this study, the analgesic effect of intraperitoneal administration of hydro-alcoholic Cinnamon extract in different doses (50,100,500mg/kg) was assessed by using Formalin Test (for chronic pain) during 1hr. post Formalin injection. Results: Our results indicated that cinnamon extract in high dose (500mg/kg) decreased the chronic pain intensity in the 2nd phase of formalin test. This analgesic effect was significant (P<0.001) as compared with sham group, but the lower doses (50 &100mg/kg) of cinnamon extract did not show any analgesic effect on chronic pain in Formalin Test. Conclusion: Data from this study confirms the analgesic effect of high doses (500mg/kg) of cinnamon extract on chronic pain in Formalin Test which may be due to anti-inflammatory effect of this plant material

Antinociceptive effect of palm date spathe hydroalcoholic extract on acute and chronic pain in mice as compared with analgesic effect of morphine and diclofenac

BACKGROUNDS: In Persian traditional medicine, palm date spathe (PDS) is introduced as an analgesic. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the analgesic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of PDS on acute and chronic pain in mice in comparison with diclofenac and morphine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, which was conducted in summer 2014, 220 male mice (20-30 g) were randomly divided into two categories, each consists of 11 groups as follows: A normal control group, a solvent (Tween 80) control group, 3 morphine positive control groups (2, 4 and 8 mg/kg), 3 diclofenac positive control groups (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg), and 3 main experimental PDS groups (2, 20, and 200 mg/kg). Hot plate was applied on animals in one category and writing test on the other category to assess acute and chronic pain, respectively. RESULTS: In the writing test, the average writing time and number of animals receiving a maximum dosage of morphine, diclofenac, and PDS were significantly less than the control group. In the hot plate test, only groups receiving different doses of morphine at different time points and those received 30 mg/kg diclofenac at 15 min after the intervention showed significant difference with the control group. CONCLUSION: 200 mg/kg extract of PDS, revealed a significant analgesic effect on chronic pain, but it did not show any analgesic effect on acute pain