Abstract
Background: Steroids have been reported to possess analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, and Vernonia glaberrima also possesses analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of lupeol isolated from the n-hexane soluble fraction of the methanol leaf extract of V. glaberrima on pain and inflammation. Method: Lupeol was re-isolated from the leaf of V. glaberrima by using chromatographic procedures; it was subjected to analgesic and anti-inflammatory studies by using acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice and formalin-induced pain and inflammation in rats, respectively. The intraperitoneal lethal dose (LD 50 ) of lupeol was determined by using Lorke’s method. Results: The results of the study showed that lupeol significantly ( p < 0.05) decreased writhing response at doses 12.5 mg/kg, 25.0 mg/kg and 50.0 mg/kg corresponding to percentage inhibition of 83.60%, 83.63% and 80.02%, respectively. This was higher than piroxicam, the standard drug (73.8%), at 10 mg/kg. The compound was also able to significantly ( p < 0.05) reduce nociceptive response in both phases of the formalin test, and there was a remarkable reduction of oedema by the compound at the second, third and fourth hours. The median LD 50 of the compound was estimated to be greater than 5000 mg/kg. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that lupeol from the leaf of V. glaberrima has good analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity that validates the ethnomedicinal use of the plant in the treatment of pain and inflammatory conditions.
Highlights
Pain is the most common reason for a physician consultation in the most advanced countries (Conaghan 2012), and it is a major symptom in many medical conditions and significantly interferes with a person’s quality of life and general functioning (Howland & Mycek 2006)
No death was recorded after administration of lupeol at the different doses in both phases
The median LD50 of lupeol was found to be greater than 5000 mg/kg, which indicates that the compound is generally non-toxic (Lorke 1983) (Table 1); previous studies conducted on the methanol leaf extract of V. glaberrima and the n-hexane soluble fraction showed a relatively lower LD50 values of 2154 mg/kg and 1265 mg/kg, respectively (Abdullahi et al 2015c, 2016)
Summary
Pain is the most common reason for a physician consultation in the most advanced countries (Conaghan 2012), and it is a major symptom in many medical conditions and significantly interferes with a person’s quality of life and general functioning (Howland & Mycek 2006). The plant is used in ethnomedicine to treat different diseases such as malaria, migraine, diabetes, psora and dysmenorrhea (Burkill 1995). It is employed in the treatment of pain, inflammation, vertigo, microbial infections, body pain, skin cancer and other skin-related disorders (Abdullahi et al 2015a; Alhassan et al 2018). Pharmacological studies ranging from anticancer, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial and antiviral activities have been reported (Abdullahi et al 2015b, 2015c, 2015d, 2017; Alhassan et al 2018; Ananil et al 2000). Steroids have been reported to possess analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, and Vernonia glaberrima possesses analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties
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