Antinociceptive property of Olax subscorpioidea Oliv (Olacaceae) extract in mice

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevanceOlax subscorpioidea is a shrub or tree found in Nigeria, and other parts of Africa. It is used in the management of inflammatory disorder, mental illness, convulsion, pain, and cancer. However, there is dearth of information on scientific basis for its folkloric use in the management of pain. Therefore, the study was designed to investigate the antinociceptive property of the extract of Olax subscorpioidea (EOS) leaves in mice. Materials and methodsAntinociceptive activity of EOS (12.5–50mg/kg, i.p.) was investigated using acetic acid induced abdominal writhing, tail immersion, hot plate and formalin tests. ResultsExtract of Olax subscorpioidea produced significant dose dependent inhibition of writhing frequency [F(4,20)=155.9, p<0.0001] and significant dose dependent inhibition of neurogenic and inflammatory pains [F(4,20)=116.7, p<0.0001; F(4,20)=40.05, p<0.0001]. It also produced a significant dose dependent prolongation of the latent period and reaction times in tail immersion and hot plate tests in mice [F(4,20)=19.49, p<0.0001; F(4,20)=97.95, p<0.0001]. ConclusionOlax subscorpioidea possessed potent analgesic action, mediated centrally and peripherally, thus justifying its use in the management of pain.