The antinociceptive activity of Polygonatum verticillatum rhizomes in pain models.
OBJECTIVE
The current study was designed to establish the pharmacological rationale for the traditional use of the rhizomes of Polygonatum verticillatum in the treatment of painful conditions and as a plant diuretic.


METHODS
The crude methanolic extract of the rhizomes of Polygonatumverticillatum (PR) was tested in various established pain models in rodents at 50, 100 and 200mg/kg i.p. while the diuretic activity was assessed at 300 and 600 mg/kg p.o. in rats.


RESULTS
PR demonstrated significant reduction (14-72%) in the number of writhes induced by acetic acid in a dose-dependent manner. When nociceptive threshold was measured in the formalin test, PR strongly attenuated the formalin-induced flinching behaviour in both phases (6-30% in first phase while 12-72% in second phase). Central involvement in the analgesic profile of PR was confirmed by the hot plate test, in which PR elicited a significant (P<0.01) analgesic activity by increasing latency time. However, an opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone (2mg/kg s.c.) strongly antagonized the antinociceptive activity of PR. As a plant diuretic, PR showed mild but statistically insignificant diuretic activity at 300 mg/kg. The crude extract and solvent fractions of the plant contained reasonable quantity of total saponin and alkaloid contents.


CONCLUSIONS
The mechanisms underlying the analgesic action of PR shows that the opioid dependant central mediation has synergistic effect by enforcing the peripheral analgesic effects. Interestingly, our findings not only substantiated the folk use of the plant as an analgesic but also reported for the first time in the whole genus.
Department of Pharmacy, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan.
Haroon
H
Khan
Muhammad
M
Saeed
Anwal-Ul-Hassan
AU
Gilani
Murad Ali
MA
Khan
Ahsana
A
Dar
Inamullah
I
Khan
D000700:Analgesics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004231:Diuresis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D031384:Polygonatum; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D027343:Rhizome
D000700:Analgesics; D010936:Plant Extracts