Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Ethanolic Stem Bark Extract of Smilax zeylanica Linn. in Wistar Rats
Rasheed Ahemad Shaik
*
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Fazil Ahmad
Department of Anesthesia Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences in Jubail, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Abdul Aleem
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Nizam Institute of Pharmacy, Deshmukhi, Telangana, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Smilax zeylanica Linn (Smilaceae) is a woody climbing shrub native to Asia's tropical and subtropical highlands. Traditionally, this plant has been widely used to cure a variety of ailments. Smilax zeylanica stem bark was extracted with ethanol to test its antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties.
Objective: To study the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of ethanolic stem bark extract of Smilax zeylanica Linn. in Wistar rats.
Methods: The antinociceptive activity has been assessed in mice by formalin-induced paw licking, Eddy’s hot-plate, and acetic-acid induced abdominal stretching models. Carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats has been conducted to explore the anti-inflammatory activity. Tween 80 (10ml/kg, p.o) was given to the control group, test drug group received ethanol extract of Smilax zeylanica (EESZ) orally at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, and standard drugs morphine (5 mg/kg, s.c), diclofenac sodium (10 mg/kg, i.p) were injected to the standard drug group.
Results: Oral administration of ethanolic extract of Smilax zeylanica (EESZ) at test doses (200 and 400 mg/kg), produced a significant decrease of the paw licking time for 2 phases (neurogenic and inflammatory) in the formalin test, upsurge of the reaction time in Eddy’s hot plate test, and significantly decreased the abdominal stretching in the acetic acid-induced writhes test. Ethanol extract of Smilax zeylanica significantly decreased the carrageenan-induced paw oedema.
Conclusion: The ethanol extract of Smilax zeylanica possesses antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory activity, probably involving central and peripheral pathways
Keywords: Smilax zeylanica, antinociceptive activity, anti-inflammatory activity, inflammation, ethanolic Extract of smilax zeylanica (EESZ)