ANTINOCICEPTIVE AND ANALGESIC ACTIVITIES OF ASPARAGUS FLAGELLARIS (KUNTH) BAKER, TEPHROSIA UNIFLORA PERS., AND ACACIA GERRARDII BENTH.

Abstract

Pain is a frequent symptom of various illnesses, and pain management is important for those who suffer from it. The purpose of this work was is to estimate the analgesic and antinociceptive potentials of Acacia gerrardii Benth, Asparagus flagellaris (Kunth) Baker, and Tephrosia uniflora Pers in albino rats. Ethanolic extracts of the A. gerrardii, A. flagellaris, and T. uniflora (doses 100, 200, and 400 mg) were used. Normal saline was used as control and standard drugs morphine and diclofenac sodium were used in acetic acid writhing, hot plate, tail-flick, and formalin tests. Acetic acid and formalin were injected after one hour of administering the extracts and the standard drugs in acetic acid and formalin tests. A. flagellaris leaves and roots extracts (400 mg/kg) through oral administration caused the highest significant reduction in the writhing’s number (P < 0.001) as comparing to the control normal saline (87.92% and 70.70%, respectively). Also, the highest activitiesy in formalin test phases Ⅰ & II were; 86.51% and 79.89%, respectively was for A. flagellaris leaves (400 mg/kg) extract. For the hot plate test at 120 minutes, A. flagellaris leaves (400 mg/kg) extract increased latency period to 27.31 seconds and A. flagellaris roots (400 mg/kg) extract to 25.52 seconds (P < 0.05); the effect was inhibited by naloxone. In the tail flick test also A. flagellaris leaves 400 mg/kg produced retention of 14.80 seconds in 120 minutes (P < 0.05). A. flagellaris roots 400 mg/kg produced the highest retention of all extracts at 14.97 seconds in 120 minutes (P < 0.05). The extracts of A. gerrardii leaves (400mg/kg) produced inhibition in formalin test phases Ⅰ & II ; 55.02% and 27.35% respectively. A. gerrardii roots (200mg/kg and 400mg/kg) produced a significant (p<0.001) increased in latency period 19.03 and 17.10 seconds respectively.The extracts of A. gerrardii demonstrated analgesic and antinociceptive activities at high doses in acetic-acid writhing test, formalin test and hot plate test. While T. uniflora roots extract showed no analgesic and antinociceptive performance in any of the test performed. Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometric (GC/MS) analysis of the ethanolic extracts of A. flagellaris leaves and roots displayed many compounds with reported analgesic and antinociceptive activity. The current study suggests that the ethanolic extracts of A. flagellaris leaves and roots had analgesic and antinociceptive activities in a dose-dependent manner.