Abstract

ANTINOCICEPTIVE EFFECTS OF LITSEA GLUTINOSA (LOUR.) C.B. ROB.

Masfikur Rahman, Anup Chowdhury, Md. Shahadat Hossan and Mohammed Rahmatullah*

ABSTRACT

Background. Litsea glutinosa is considered a medicinal plant with multiple therapeutic uses by traditional medicine practitioners of Bangladesh. It was of interest to evaluate the antinociceptive activity of methanol extract of bark of the plant (MELG). Methods. Antinociceptive activity was determined through reductions in number of writhings caused by intraperitoneally injected acetic acid-induced abdominal pain in mice. Results. At MELG doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg body weight, the extract reduced the number of abdominal constrictions induced by intraperitoneal administration of acetic acid in mice by 22.2, 29.6, 33.3, and 51.9%, respectively. By comparison, a standard antinociceptive drug, aspirin, when administered to mice at doses of 200 and 400 mg per kg body weight, reduced the number of abdominal constrictions by 33.3 and 48.1%, respectively%, demonstrating that the extract antinociceptive activity at the highest dose was potent than aspirin at the highest dose. Conclusion. The results suggest that bark of the plant possess phytochemical constituent(s) with antinociceptive activities, and which can lead to new pain relieving drug discovery.

Keywords: Antinociceptive, Litsea glutinosa, Lauraceae, writhing.