Antinociceptive effects of Trigonella foenum-graecum leaves extract.
There are some reports concerning the antinociceptive effects of the plant Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) in Iranian traditional medicine. Because of the side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive drugs, and in search for more potent and less harmful compounds, we tried to study the antinociceptive effects of TFG leaves by using tail-flick and formalin tests. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of 500 mg/kg of TFG extract and 100 and 300 mg/kg of sodium salicylate (SS), as a positive control, did not show any effect in the tail-flick test, but the 1000 and 2000 mg/kg of the extract produced significant increase in the tail-flick latency. SS (300 mg/kg, i.p.) induced antinociception in the second phase of the formalin test. TFG (500 mg/kg, i.p.) demonstrated antinociception only in the first phase, but 1000 and 2000 mg/kg, i.p. doses alleviated the pain in both phases. Preliminary LD50 of the extract was very close to 4000 mg/kg, i.p. We conclude that: (1) the extract of TFG leaves produces antinociceptive effects through central and peripheral mechanisms; (2) the antinociceptive effects of 2000 mg/kg of the extract was more potent than 300 mg/kg of SS.
Javan
M
M
Department of Pharmacology, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ahmadiani
A
A
Semnanian
S
S
Kamalinejad
M
M
D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D012980:Sodium Salicylate / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000700:Analgesics; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012980:Sodium Salicylate