Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory activities of Rothmannia Longiflora Salisb In Mice And Rats

Abstract: In this study, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the methanolic leaf extract of Rothmannialongiflora were investigated. The methanolic leaf extract of the plant at the doses of 250, 500, and 1000mg/kg orally was evaluated for analgesic activity using acetic acid-induced writhing test, hot plate test and formalin test. The anti-inflammatory potential of the extract was evaluated using carrageenan-induced paw oedema test in rats. The methanolic leaf extract exhibited significant dose dependent analgesic and antiinflammatory effects comparable to piroxicam (20mg/kg body weight orally), which is a standard analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the methanolic leaf extract of Rothmannialongiflora revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, steroids/terpanoids, and carbohydrates. The oral median lethal dose (LD 50 ) of the extract in mice and rats were found to be greater than 5000mg/kg, suggesting that the methanolic leaf extract of Rothmannialongiflora is non-toxic. The present findings suggest that the methanolic leaf extract of the plant possesses analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, and supports the ethno medical claims of the use of the plant in the management of pain and inflammatory conditions

Evaluation of the anti-nociceptive profile of essential oil from Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) in acute and chronic pain models

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMelissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant native to Mediterranean regions and found in other parts of the world. Extracts and essential oil from this widely cultivated culinary medicinal herb are used in traditional medicine to manage a variety of disorders that include epilepsy and pain.Aim of the studyTo assess the anti-nociceptive potentials of Melissa officinalis essential oil (MO) and probe the involvement of adrenergic, opioidergic, serotonergic and potassium adenosine triphosphate (KATP) mechanisms in its anti-nociceptive effects.Material and methodsWe employed formalin-, acetic acid and hot plate-induced nociception to study the acute anti-nociceptive effects of MO. The sciatic nerve injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain was utilized to study the anti-nociceptive effects of MO on chronic pain. Effects of MO on anxiety, cognitive deficits, oxidative stress and inflammation in the CCI rats were evaluated on elevated plus maze, open field test, novel object recognition, oxidative stress parameters and pro-inflammatory cytokines, respectively. The possible mechanism(s) of MO's anti-nociceptive effects were elucidated using prazosin, yohimbine, propranolol, glibenclimide, naloxone and metergoline, which are acknowledged antagonists for α1–, α2– and β–adrenergic, potassium adenosine triphosphate (KATP), opioidergic and serotonergic systems, respectively.ResultsMO significantly attenuated acetic acid- and formalin-induced nociception; prolonged the mean reaction time of rats on hot plate before and following sciatic nerve chronic injury (CCI). MO ameliorated anxiety, cognitive deficits and oxidative stress, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and produced a near total restoration of injured sciatic nerves in CCI rats. Naloxone, metergoline and glibenclimide significantly blocked, while prazosin, yohimbine and popranolol failed to block the anti-nociceptive effects of MO in formalin-induced nociception.ConclusionsMO contains biologically active compounds with potential anti-nociceptive properties that modulate KATP, opioidergic and serotonergic pathways. These support the development of bioactive compounds from MO as anti-nociceptive agents