title: In vivo screening of essential oils of Skimmia laureola leaves for antinociceptive and antipyretic activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the screening of essential oils of Skimmia laureola leaves (SLO) for acute toxicity, antinociceptive, antipyretic and anticonvulsant activities in various animal models.
  
  
  METHODS
  SLO were extracted using modified Clevenger type apparatus. Acute toxicity test was used in mice to observe its safety level. Antinociceptive activity of SLO was evaluated in acetic acid induced writhing and hot plate tests. Yeast induced hyperthermic mice and pentylenetetrazole induced convulsive mice were used for the assessment of its antipyretic and anticonvulsant profile respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Substantial safety was observed for SLO in acute toxicity test. SLO showed a high significant activity in acetic acid induced writhing test in a dose dependent manner with maximum pain attenuation of 68.48% at 200 mg/kg i.p. However, it did not produce any relief in thermal induced pain at test doses. When challenged against pyrexia evoked by yeast, SLO manifested marked amelioration in hyperthermic mice, dose dependently. Maximum anti-hyperthermic activity (75%) was observed at 200 mg/kg i.p. after 4 h of drug administration. Nevertheless, SLO had no effect on seizures control and mortality caused by pentylenetetrazole.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In vivo studies of SLO showed prominent antinociceptive and antipyretic activities with ample safety profile and thus provided pharmacological base for the traditional uses of the plant in various painful conditions and pyrexia. Additional detail studies are required to ascertain its clinical application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Peshawar-25120, Peshawar, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Naveed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.lastname: Barkatullah
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ibrar
authors.forename: Haroon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.forename: Amir Zada
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Waqar Ahmad
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Kaleem
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology; D058633:Antipyretics / Q000494:pharmacology; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D027821:Rutaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D058633:Antipyretics; D009822:Oils, Volatile
keywords: Antinociceptive; Antipyretic activity; Essential oils; Skimmia laureola leaves