title: Evaluation of anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities of Artemisia scoparia hydromethanolic extract.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Artemisia scoparia (redstem wormwood) locally known as jhahoo or jaukay, is traditionally used in pain, inflammation and febrile conditions. So far, little or no scientific work has been reported to validate its folk uses in the alleviation of pain, fever and inflammation. The present study was designed to explore the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of the Artemisia scoparia hydromethanolic extract (ASHME), and to validate its traditional use in Asia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study made use of thermal (hot plate induced) and chemical (acetic acid induced) nociception models in mice. In addition, the mechanism of antinociception in hot plate test was further evaluated in the presence of caffeine (10mg/kg), naloxone (2mg/kg) and monosodium glutamate (1g/kg). While carrageenan induced rat paw edema and yeast induced mouse pyrexia models were used to test the anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administration of single intraperitoneal doses (400mg/kg and 800 mg/kg) of ASHME significantly reduced the carrageenan induced paw edema in rats (P<0.05, P<0.001) by 54% and 74%, increased the thermal nociception time in the hot plate test up to 2- and 2.5-fold (P<0.01, P<0.001), inhibited the acetic acid induced writhings in mice by 41.12% and 61.53% (P<0.001), and attenuated the yeast induced pyrexia in mice by nearly 74% and 90% respectively (P<0.01, P<0.001). Caffeine (10mg/kg), naloxone (2mg/kg) and monosodium glutamate (1g/kg) significantly (P<0.001) abolished the anti-nociceptive response of ASHME (400mg/kg).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the Artemisia scoparia hydromethanolic extract of ASHME possesses anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potentials, which support its use, for the said conditions, in traditional medicine and should be further exploited for its use in clinical medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, 7th Avenue, G-7/4, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muheet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.forename: Ishrat
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Waheed
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058633:Antipyretics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002351:Carrageenan; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy*; D041743:Herb-Drug Interactions; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D058633:Antipyretics; D010936:Plant Extracts; D009270:Naloxone; D002110:Caffeine; D002351:Carrageenan; D012970:Sodium Glutamate; D000432:Methanol