Aim: Traditional medicine practitioners use leaf extract of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis for symptomatic relief of arthritis. Studies indicate the anti-inflammatory effect of this extract. The objective of the present study was to investigate the analgesic effect of leaves of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis linn in rodents.
Methods: The leaf extract was prepared by “maceration” with 90% ethanol at room temperature, filtered and the filtrate evaporated to dryness. The extract was suspended in Tween 80 and used intra peritoneally in rodents. Peripheral analgesic activity of the extract at doses 100, 200, 400 mg/kg was evaluated in mice using acetic acid induced writhing test, central analgesic activity was tested in rats using tail flick latency test.
Results: The leaf extract of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis produced significant analgesic activity in a dose dependent manner (both peripheral and central at doses 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg). But when compared to the standard drugs (aspirin for peripheral analgesia and pethidine for central analgesia) the efficacy of the test drug was found to be inferior even at highest dose (400 mg/kg). The onset of action of the test drug was found to be between 30 minutes to one hour and duration of action was up to three hours in central analgesia and significant peripheral analgesia was seen even after four hours of administration of NALE at 400 mg/kg dose.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential analgesic effect of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis leaf which supports the claim of traditional medicine practitioners.
Key words: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, analgesic, tail flick latency, pethidine.
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