Analgesic and antimotility activities of leaves of Hygrophilla spinosa T. Anders

Abstract

Petroleum ether, choloroform, alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the leaves of Hygrophila spinosa T. Anders (Acanthaceae) were screened for analgesic and antimotility activities. Analgesic activity was studied by hot plate and tail flick method in thermal method, and acetic acid induced writhing test in chemical method. The choloroform, alcoholic and aqueous extracts at dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg of body weight significantly inhibited the abdominal constriction produced by acetic acid and also increased the pain threshold of mice towards the thermal source in a dose dependent manner comparable to the standard drug aspirin (100 mg/kg of body weight). Antimotility activity was studied by charcoal meal feeding method and atropine sulphate at a dose of 0.1 mg/ kg (i.p.) was used as the standard drug. The extracts significantly decreased the distance travelled by charcoal meal through the gastrointestinal tract. The results suggest that the extracts exhibit analgesic activity by central as well as peripheral mechanism(s) and also have antimotility activity.