title: Analgesic effects of methanolic extracts of the leaf or root of Moringa oleifera on complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Moringa oleifera (family Moringaceae) has been widely used in African folk medicine, and researchers have recently revealed its anti-inflammatory effects in human. This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic properties of methanolic extracts of M. oleifera in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Wistar rats, weighing 200 to 220 g, were used in this study. Adjuvant arthritis was induced on day 0 by a single subcutaneous injection of CFA. The prepared extracts from both the root and leaf (200, 300 and 400 mg/kg) of M. oleifera were administered intraperitonealy to rats in the treatment groups 0, 3 and 6 d after CFA injection and indomethacin (5 mg/kg) was used as a positive control drug. Thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia were evaluated for the analgesic effect 0, 3 and 6 d after CFA injection. Combined methanolic root and leaf extracts of M. oleifera (200 mg/kg) were also tested for the analgesic effect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The potency of the root or leaf extracts of M. oleifera (300 and 400 mg/kg) was similar to that of indomethacin, resulted in significant reductions in both thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in rats with CFA-induced arthritis compared with the control group after 3 and 6 d, respectively (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Combined root and leaf extracts (200 mg/kg) of M. oleifera resulted in a significant reduction in thermal hyperalgesia compared with the control group after 3 and 6 d, respectively (P<0.01). Prophylactic injections of combined root and leaf extracts of M. oleifera (200 mg/kg) resulted in a significant reduction in thermal hyperalgesia compared with the control group, the root extracts group, and the leaf extracts group after 3 and 6 d, respectively (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The methanolic extracts of the root or leaf of M. oleifera are effective in the reduction of pain induced by CFA in rats. A comparison of single and combination therapies of root and leaf extracts also showed a synergistic effect on pain reduction.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Department, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran. hshardimanaheji@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Homa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Manaheji
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jafari
authors.forename: Jalal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zaringhalam
authors.forename: Shamsali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rezazadeh
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taghizadfarid
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D029588:Moringa oleifera / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant