the antinociceptive effect of the aqueous stem bark extract of amblygonocarpus

7/29/2019 The Antinociceptive Effect of the Aqueous Stem Bark Extract of Amblygonocarpus

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Continental J. Pharmacology and Toxicology Research 4 (1): 11 - 17, 2011 ISSN: 2141 4238

Wilolud Journals, 2011 http://www.wiloludjournal.com

` Printed in Nigeria

THE ANTINOCICEPTIVE EFFECT OF THE AQUEOUS STEM BARK EXTRACT OFAmblygonocarpus

andogensis IN ALBINO RATS

H .Ighodaro and S.O BelloDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy,UsmanuDanfodiyo University,Sokoto. 2Department of Pharmacology and

Toxicology,Usmanu Danfodiyo University,Sokoto.

ABSTRACT

Amblygonocarpus andogensis is a perennial plant commonly used in Nigeria traditional medicine for the

treatment of pain, particularly body and joint pains. However, little scientific evidence exists in literature on theantinociceptive property of this plant.Furthermore; current analgesics being used in the treatment of pain have

numerous undesirable side effects. There is therefore the need for further research for new analgesics acting on

new pain receptors. This study was therefore undertaken to investigate the antinociceptive activity of the aqeousstem bark extract ofAmblygonocarpus andogensis in Albino rats.

The acetic acid induced abdominal constriction test and the Formalin-induced paw licking test methods were

used for the pain evaluation. In the acetic acid induced abdominal constriction test, the method used was that

described by Koster et al (1959) as modified by Amos et al 2002. A total of 20 rats were divided into two sets of

two groups of rats with one control group; with n=4. The first set was pre-treated with the extract at 100 and 200

mg/kg p.o; with pre-treatment time of 30 min. The second set was similarly treated but with a pre-treatment time

of 60 min. Each group was administered 10ml/kg intra peritoneal(i.p) of an aqueous solution of acetic acid(0.7%). The rats were then held upward and the number of abdominal constriction for each rat counted for 10

min immediately after treatment with acetic acid. The observer of the abdominal constriction was blinded to the

exact treatment the animal received. The control group was given normal saline for pre-treatment and compared

with the extract treated groups. The % inhibitions of abdominal constrictions for the extract treated groups were

calculated. The Formalin test used was similar to that described by Dubusson and Dennis (1977) and modified

by Tjolsen et al (1992). Three groups of rats weighing between 100-160g consisting of 4 rats per group werepre-treated as follows:

Group one normal saline (acted as control)

Group two was given 100mg/kg of extract

Group three was given 200mg/kg of extract

Thirty minutes after this treatment, they were administered 50l of a 2.5% solution of formalin subcutaneouslyunder the plantar surface of the left hind-paw. They were then placed in an observation chamber and monitored

for 1 hour, and the severity of pain was recorded based on the following pain score;

(0) Rat walked or stood firmly on infected paw.

(1) The infected paw was favoured or practically elevated.

(2) The infected paw was clearly lifted off the floor.

(3) The rat licked, chewed or shook the infected paw.

The observer was blinded to the exact treatment the animal received.

Antinociceptive effect was determined in two phases.

(i) The early phase been recorded during the first five minutes, while the late phase

(ii) Was recorded during the last 45 minutes with a 10min lag period in between both phases.

The aqeous extract(200 and100mg/Kg) significantly and in a dose dependent manner reduced the nociception

induced by the acetic acid and in both the early and late phases of Formalin test (P


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H .Ighodaro and S.O Bello: Continental J. Pharmacology and Toxicology Research 4 (1): 11 - 17, 2011

KEY WORDS:Antinociception,acetic acid,formalin,Amblygonocarpus andogensis.

INTRODUCTION

The problem of pain sensations has been with man and has given cause for concern from time immemorial. Painitself is a difficult Science to study and the need to study it remains as long as there are pains, which we do not

understand, and which are inadequately treated.

These pains are indications of our ignorance about pain mechanisms and therapy. To achieve adequate

understanding and treatment, there is need for further research into the phenomenon of pain. Furthermore,

current analgesics being used in the treatment of pain have numerous undesirable side effects. There is therefore

the need for further research for new analgesics acting on new pain receptors such as PAR-2 (protease activated

receptor) which is found in the skin, in joints and in the digestive system. AC 264613 peptide is an agonist of

protease activated receptor, while F SLLRY is an antagonist.

Several herbal agents have been known to exhibit analgesic properties. Such includes Alstonia boonie, whose

stem bark is used in traditional medicine for treating painful micturition and rheumatic conditions. The plant

Erythrina senegalenses was reported by Etkin (1997) to have some significant analgesic activity against theacetic acid induced abdominal constriction in mice. In line with this understanding, the plant Amblygonocarpandogensis was assessed as a way of sourcing for possible useful and better analgesic agents.

The word Pain is frequently used especially in research, to refer to a class of behaviours, which operate to

protect the organism from harm or to enlist aid in effecting relief. The behaviour may be a reflex withdrawal as

in pulling ones hand away from heat or it may be any of a number of physiological processes which accompanythe presumed experience of pain and are used as objective measures of it, such as changes in cardiac or blood

pressure, histamine production, or catecholamine levels. Such changes are considered to be operational

definitions of pain for experimental purposes, or for purposes of objective clinical evaluation and are referred to

as pain response (Patrick, 1989).

Another definition of pain is that given by the International Association for the study of pain (IASP) which

defines it as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience association with actual or potential tissue damage,or described in terms of such damage. Most pain researchers and therapists have accepted this definition, which

is now used widely to qualify the meaning of the word pain (IASP 1986). The World Health Organization in

recognition of the immense value of herbal medicine to primary health care has advocated for the proper

identification, sustainable exploitation, scientific development and appropriate utilization of herbal medicine

which provides safe and effective remedies in Medicare. (Wambebe, 1998).

Preliminary enquiry through local traditional herbal practitioners shows that the plant does have medicinal

analgesic properties worth investigating. Paul et al, (2000); (Patrick, 2001) described Andongensis as a tree with

clear potential values. Rogger (2000) also described this plant as an economic tree. But above all, this plant has

a long standing history of analgesic as well as antipsychotic claim among the leading traditional medicalpractioners. Despite these claims; there is no documentation on the scientific validation of the plant. This is

because traditional medicine in Africa is not codified but verbally passed unto apprentices as folks medicine

(Ohaeri,1989). It was also discovered that the plant despite its useful medicinal values have been underinvestigated and very scanty information about it exist in literature. The present study was therefore intended to

fill the highlighted vacuum .

MATERIALS AND METHODS

ACETIC ACID-INDUCED ABDOMINAL CONSTRICTIONS IN ALBINO RATS.

The method used was that described by Koster et al (1959) as modified by Amos et al 2002. A total of 20 rats

were divided into two sets of two groups of rats with one control group; with n=4. The first set was pre-treated

with the extract at 100 and 200 mg/kg p.o; with pre-treatment time of 30 min. The second set was similarly

treated but with a pre-treatment time of 60 min. Each group was administered 10ml/kg intra peritoneal(i.p.) ofan aqueous solution of acetic acid (0.7%). The rats were then held upward and the number of abdominal

constriction for each rat counted for 10 min immediately after treatment with acetic acid. The observer of the

abdominal constriction was blinded to the exact treatment the animal received. The control group was given

normal saline for pre-treatment and compared with the extract treated groups. The % inhibitions of abdominalconstrictions for the extract treated groups were calculated.


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FORMALIN TEST IN RATS

The method used was similar to that described by Dubusson and Dennis (1977) and modified by Tjolsen et al

(1992). Three groups of rats weighing between 100-160g consisting of 4 rats per group were pre-treated as

follows:Group one normal saline (acted as control)

Group two as given 100mg/kg of extract

Group three was given 200mg/kg of extract

Thirty minutes after this treatment, they were administered 50l of a 2.5% solution of formalin subcutaneously

under the plantar surface of the left hind-paw. They were then placed in an observation chamber and monitored

for 1 hour, and the severity of pain was recorded based on the following pain score;

(4) Rat walked or stood firmly on infected paw.

(5) The infected paw was favoured or practically elevated.

(6) The infected paw was clearly lifted off the floor.

(7) The rat licked, chewed or shook the infected paw.

This method of scoring allows a graded determination of responses thus showing finer degrees of anti-nociception as opposed to the method in which only the time the animal spent licking the infected paw was

recorded.

The observer was blinded to the exact treatment the animal received.

Antinociceptive effect was determined in two phases.

(iii) The early phase been recorded during the first five minutes, while the late phase(iv) Was recorded during the last 45 minutes with a 10min lag period in between both phases.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

TABLE 1: ACETIC ACID INDUCED PAIN TEST IN ALBINO RATS

______________________________________________________________________________

GROUP DOSE NUMBER OF CONSTRICTIONS DURING;

mg/kg 30min pretrt %inhibition 60minpretrt %inhibition______________________________________________________________________________

Control - 112.25 8.47 - 112.25 8.47 -

A. Andogensis 100 35.50 4.27* 68.40 27.25 2.56* 75.78

A. Andogensis 200 14.50 1.26* 87.11 15.50 3.30* 86.22

______________________________________________________________________________* P < 0.05

TABLE 2: FORMALIN INDUCED PAIN TEST IN ALBINO RATS

GROUP DOSE

Mg/kg

PAIN SCORE

Control

A. AndogensisA. Andogensis

----

100

200

3 3

1* 0*

0* 0*


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ACETIC ACID INDUCED ABDOMINAL

CONSTRICTIONS IN ALBINO RATS

1 2 3 4 5 60

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1

PRE-TREATMENT GROUPS

NUMBERS

OF

CONSTRICTIONS

1 30 mins control 2 30 mins A.A. 100 3 30 mins A.A. 200

4 60 mins control 5 60 mins A.A. 100 6 60 mins A.A. 200

Fig : Antinociceptive effect of the aqueous stem bark extract of A.A. Acetic acid induced nociception. Data are

means with vertical error bar indicating S.E.M; n=4; ANOVA, with student t test, *P


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RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the shortcomings/findings of this research, it will be pertinent to make the following recommendations

i. The phytochemical analysis of the extract needs to be carried out so that the various classes of

natural constituent in the extract can be evaluated.ii. The active principles responsible for the antinoceiceptive effect ofA.andogensis needs to be

investigated so that the mechanism of action can be elucidated.

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Received for Publication: 18/05/2011

Accepted for Publication: 24/07/2011

Corresponding Author

H .IghodaroDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, Usmanu Danfodiyo University,Sokoto.

E.MAIL: [email protected]

the antinociceptive effect of the aqueous stem bark extract of amblygonocarpus

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