Chronic pain continues to be an insurmountable issue in recent times, particularly due to
the lack of adequate knowledge as well as the unavailability of appropriate therapeutics that
target it. The increasingly common prescription of opioids as medication to treat chronic pain has
ultimately contributed to a national opioid epidemic. In response to this, several strides have
been made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to revise guidelines
pertaining to opioid prescription for chronic pain. This project specifically focuses on identifying
the mechanism of action of Physalin F, a natural compound isolated from the Physalis acutifolia
(family: Solanaceae) herb, and previously demonstrated to exhibit antinociceptive effects in
models of inflammatory pain, consistent with earlier reports of its anti-inflammatory and
immunomodulatory activities. Through the use of calcium imaging, it was revealed that Physalin
F had a significant inhibitory effect on voltage-gated calcium channels in dorsal root ganglion. In
order to replicate these findings in-vivo, Physalin F was found to reverse mechanical allodynia in
both paclitaxel-induced and spinal nerve ligation-induced neuropathic pain models, further
elucidating its antinociceptive behavior. Experimentation results provided a better scope on
Physalin F mechanism of action as well as grounds for further investigation
