Antinociceptive Activity of Ligusticum porteri Preparations and Compounds

Abstract

The roots and rhizomes of Ligusticum porteri are widely used in Mexican folk medicine for several purposes, including painful complaints. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the antinociceptive activity of some extracts and major compounds from L. porteri using the acetic acid-induced writhing and hot plate tests in ICR mice. All preparations tested exhibited significant antinociceptive effect in the two animal pain models selected. Z-ligustilide (1) provoked an increment in the latency period to the thermal stimuli in the hot-plate test at a dose of 31.6 mg/kg, and a decrease in the number of abdominal writhes at 10 mg/kg. Z-3-butylidenephthalide (2) induced a dose-dependent antinociceptive action in the hot-plate assay; this compound was also effective for controlling the pain provoked by chemical irritation at the doses of 10 and 31.6 mg/kg. Finally, diligustilide (3) inhibited the number of writhing responses at all doses tested but was inactive in the hot-plate model.