title: Ameliorative potential of Alstonia scholaris (Linn.) R. Br. against chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alstonia scholaris commonly known as 'Saptaparni' is an Indian traditional medicinal plant used in Ayurveda. It is commonly used to treat various disorders like asthma, bronchitis, diarrhea, dysentery and malaria. In folklore medicine the milky juice of the plant is applied on wounds and ulcers to treat pain, ear ache and also in rheumatic pains.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was designed to investigate the potential of A. scholaris R. Br. in chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerve (CCI) induced neuropathic pain in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral neuropathy was induced by chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerve. The behavioral parameters like mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia and cold allodynia were assessed on the 14thday. Tissue parameters like total protein, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, reduced glutathione, myeloperoxidase, total calcium and TNF-α were assessed to check biochemical changes. Chloroform and methanol extract of A. scholaris leaves (100 and 200 mg/kg) and pregabalin (10 mg/kg, as positive control) were administered orally for 14 consecutive days starting from the day of surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CCI resulted in significant development of mechanical hyperalgesia, heat hyperalgesia and cold allodynia along with alteration in the biochemical changes. Administration of methanol extract at 200 mg/kg significantly attenuated the CCI induced change in nociceptive threshold and biochemical changes which was comparable to that of pregabalin. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the bioactive methanol extract revealed the presence of different types of flavonoids such as gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, ellagic acid and kaempferol, in which kaempferol was observed to be in higher concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methanol extract (200 mg/kg) of A. scholaris showed the ameliorative effect in CCI induced neuropathic pain which may be due to the presence of kaempferol and attributed to its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 143005, India.
authors.forename: Hasandeep
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 143005, India.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.affiliation: Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 143005, India.
authors.forename: Saroj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 143005, India. balbir_gndu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Balbir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D031051:Alstonia / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002725:Chloroform; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D003250:Constriction; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000188:drug therapy; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D000432:Methanol; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D002725:Chloroform; D000432:Methanol