title: Evaluation of the antinociceptive effect of the ethanolic extract of Punica granatum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are severe adverse effects of analgesic drugs on human body. Extraction of analgesic drugs from natural products has therefore become the prime objective of the study. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive activity of the pomegranate fruit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antinociceptive activity of ethanol pomegranate extract was examined using three models of pain: the writhing test, the hot tail flick test and the plantar test. The ethanolic extract of pomegranate was administered by oral gavages in doses of (100,150 and 200mg/kg, p.o (orally)), for all the tests and compared with aspirin (100mg/kg, p.o.) which was considered as the standard drug. Phytochemical screening and HPLC analysis of the plant species was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the writhing test, the index of pain inhibition (IPI) was 37% for ethanolic extract of pomegranate (200mg/kg, p.o.), and 59% for aspirin. In the hot tail flick test, the ethanolic extract of pomegranate (200mg/kg, p.o.), has shown significant analgesia reaching its peak at 60 min maximum possible analgesia (MPA), was 24.1% as compared with aspirin 37.5%. Hyperalgesia was successfully induced by the plantar test and the ethanol extract of pomegranate (100,150,200mg/kg, p.o.), reduced the hyperalgesia in a dose dependent manner comparable to aspirin at (100mg/kg, p.o.). HPLC analysis revealed the presence of gallic acid, ellagic acid and Punicalagins A&B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrated that ethanol pomegranate extract has an antinociceptive effect that may be related to the presence of identified phytochemicals.
authors.affiliation: Department of physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 59100, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
authors.forename: Lamees Ben
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.affiliation: Department of physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 59100, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kim Kah
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Hwi
authors.affiliation: Department of physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 59100, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Quah
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D029561:Lythraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Pain; analgesia; ethanolic extract of pomegranate; phytochemicals