Igbe & Edike Antinociceptive activity of V. africana Journal of Science and Practice of Pharmacy December 2015; 2 (1): 51-54 Available at http://www.jsppharm.org ISSN: 2449-0458 (print); 2449-0466 (electronic) ©Official Journal of the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists in Academia, University of Benin Branch, Benin City, Nigeria. All rights reserved. Original Research Article In vivo antinociceptive activity of the aqueous leaf extract of Voacanga africana Stapf (Apocynaceae) in mice Ighodaro Igbe and Tarimobowei Edike Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State.PMB 1154. Nigeria *For correspondence: Email:
[email protected] Tel: +2348166058559 Abstract Purpose: To investigate the analgesic activity and aqueous leaves extract (100, 200 and 400mg/kg) phytochemical constituents of aqueous extract of produced a significant (P<0.05) analgesic activity in a Voacanga africana leaves and validate it use in dose dependent manner in acetic acid induced folklore medicine. writhing test. The extract (200 and 400mg/kg) Methods: Crude leaves were extracted by percolation significantly (P>0.05) prolonged the reaction latency with distilled water. The antinociceptive properties of time of pain in the hot plate test Conclusion: The the extract were determined using the acetic acid- study showed that the aqueous extract of Voacanga induced writhing and the hot plate test methods in africana appears to possess analgesic activity that mice. Phytochemical screening was determined using appears to be peripherally and centrally mediated, standard methods. thus justifying its use in traditional medicine. Results: The phytochemical constituents of the aqueous extract of Voacanga africana leaves present Keywords: Phytochemicals; writhing; latency time; were alkaloids, anthranoids, anthraquinones, cardiac dose dependent.