title: Analgesic activity of Gleditsia triacanthos methanolic fruit extract and its saponin-containing fraction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gleditsia triacanthos L. (Leguminosae) pods are used in folk medicine for pain relief as anodyne and narcotic.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to evaluate analgesic activity of Gleditsia triacanthos methanolic fruit extract (MEGT) and its saponin-containing fraction (SFGT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral analgesic activity was assessed using the acetic acid-induced writhing model in mice at doses of 140, 280, and 560 mg/kg and formalin test in rats at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses. Central analgesic activity was evaluated using the hotplate method in rats (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the writhing test, six mice groups treated with MEGT and SFGT found ED50 values 268.2 and 161.2 mg/kg, respectively, displayed a significant decrease in writhing count compared with the group treated with standard drug indomethacin (14 mg/kg). SFGT (280 and 560 mg/kg) showed 64.94 and 70.78% protection, respectively, which are more than double % protection caused by indomethacin (31.82%). In the formalin test, MEGT and SFGT (ED50 values 287.6 and 283.4 mg/kg for phase I as well as 295.1 and 290.4 mg/kg for phase II, respectively) at 400 mg/kg showed significant % inhibition in both phase I (18.86 and 52.57%) and phase II (39.36 and 44.29%) with reference to 10 mg/kg indomethacin (56.0 and 32.29%). MEGT and SFGT caused significant delay in responses in hotplate model (ED50 values 155.4 and 200.6 mg/kg, respectively) compared with that of 10 mg/kg indomethacin at 30, 60, and 120 min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Central and peripheral analgesic activities induced by Gleditsia triacanthos fruits might account for its uses in folk medicine.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and.
authors.forename: Dalia Osama
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.affiliation: b Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds , National Research Centre , Dokki , Giza , Egypt.
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kassem
authors.affiliation: b Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds , National Research Centre , Dokki , Giza , Egypt.
authors.forename: Farouk Rasmy
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Melek
mesh_terms: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005638:Fruit; D031501:Gleditsia; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012503:Saponins; D000432:Methanol
keywords: Antinociceptive activity; pain; saponins