Ethanolic Root Extract of Jatropha curcas L. relieves Hyperalgesia in Arthritis Model in Rats

Abstract

This work evaluated the analgesic property of ethanolic extract of Jatropha curcas in arthritic/skeletal pain models. Acute skeletal hyperalgesia was induced in knee joints of rats with 3% carrageenan-kaolin mixture. Twelve hours later, the rats were grouped and treated orally with 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg Jatropha curcas or morphine (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg). Pain thresholds were measured by knee compression in the ipsilateral limb. In a separate experiment to determine the effect of ethanolic root extract of Jatropha curcas (30-300 mg/kg, p.o.) and morphine (1-3 mg/kg, p.o.) on chronic skeletal hyperalgesia, the extracts and morphine treatments were administered 2 weeks after the induction of the pain with 3% carrageenan-kaolin mixture. The effects of Jatropha curcas on chronic skeletal hyperalgesia in both the ipsilateral and contralateral paws was assessed in the Randall-Selitto test.Jatropha curcas (P<0.05) and morphine (P<0.05) significantly reduced acute knee hyperalgesia in the ipsilateral limb. Chronic skeletal hyperalgesia was dose-dependently inhibited by the extract of J. curcas and the standard drug morphine in the ipsilateral and contralateral paws. Ethanolic root extract of Jatropha curcas relieves skeletal pain in rats.