ANALGESIC ACTIVITY of AQUEOUS EXTRACT of STEREOSPERMUM KUNTHIANUM (Cham, Sandrine Petit) STEM BARK
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Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica ñ Drug Research, Vol. 66 No. 1 pp. 83ñ88, 2009 ISSN 0001-6837 Polish Pharmaceutical Society NATURAL DRUGS ANALGESIC ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF STEREOSPERMUM KUNTHIANUM (Cham, Sandrine Petit) STEM BARK FIDELIS P. CHING*a, ERIC K. I. OMOGBAIb, RAYMOND I. OZOLUAb and STEPHEN O. OKPOb a Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria bDepartment of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria Abstract: The analgesic activity of the aqueous extract of Stereospermum kunthianum stem bark was studied using the acetic acid-induced writhing, the hot plate test, tail flick test, and formalin pain test in mice or rats. The aqueous extract (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg) produced a significant (p<0.001) dose-dependent inhibition of abdominal writhes in mice. The results of the hot plate test showed a dose-related and time-dependent signifi- cant (P<0.001) increase in pain threshold in mice 60 minutes after treatment at all the doses used in the study. The extract (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg) showed significant (p <0.05) dose-dependent increase in tail flick latency in rats and also inhibited both phases of the formalin pain test in mice with a more intense effect on the first phase than the second phase. The results indicate that the aqueous extract of Stereospermum kunthianum stem bark possesses analgesic activity which is mediated through both central and peripheral mechanisms. This is a possible rationale for its use in traditional human medicine for pain relief. Keywords: Stereospermum kunthianum, analgesic activity, acetic acid, formalin, hot plate, tail flick, mice, rats Stereospermum kunthianum (Cham, Sandrine of Stereospermum kunthianum are used in tradition- Petit), family Bignoniaceae (Juss. nom. Cons.) is a al medicine to treat an array of human ailments. The genus of tropical Africa and Asia. It is native to pods are chewed with salt to treat coughs and are Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, used in treatment of ulcers, leprosy, skin eruptions Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, Somalia, and venereal diseases, while the stem bark decoc- South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, tion or infusion is used to cure bronchitis, pneumo- and Zimbabwe. Stereospermum kunthianum is dis- nia, coughs, rheumatic arthritis and dysentery. The tributed from Senegal to East Africa. It is found twigs are chewed to clean teeth and to treat mainly in the Sudano-Guinean savannahs on alti- toothache. The roots and leaves have been found tudes between 500 ñ 2400 m, mean annual temper- useful in treating venereal diseases, respiratory ail- ature of up to 40OC and annual mean rainfall of 450 ments and gastritis (4). The efficacy of the water ñ 900 mm (1, 2). The genus Stereospermum is rep- extract of Stereospermum kunthianum in human resented in Nigeria by two species: Stereospermum complement system fixation in-vitro has been kunthianum (Cham) which grows on the savannah, reported (5). The antiplasmodial activity of naph- and Stereospermum acuminatissimum (K. Schum) thoquinones and one anthraquinone from the which grows in the forest. Stereospermum kunthi- lipophilic extract of the root bark of Stereospermum anum, also referred to as pink jacaranda, in English, kunthianum has also been reported (6). The anal- is known locally as sansami among the Hausa of gesic activity of the aqueous extract of Northern Nigeria; umana among the Tiv of Middle Stereospermum kunthianum stem bark was investi- Belt of Nigeria, ayada among the Yoruba of South gated using various pain models in mice or rats in West Nigeria, and alakiriti among the Igbo of South order to validate its local use to relief pain in ail- East Nigeria (1, 3, 4). Various morphological parts ments accompanied with pain. * Corresponding author: [email protected]; phone: +2348067541738; +2348056731905. 83 84 FIDELIS P. CHING et al. MATERIALS AND METHODS toneally aqueous extract (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 g/kg.) or distilled water (5 mL/kg or 10 mL/kg for Plant material rats and mice, respectively). General symptoms of The fresh stem bark of the Stereospermum kun- toxicity and mortality were observed for 24 h, after thianum was collected in Idi-Okpe, Ogun State, which the animals were left for further 14 days for Nigeria in March, 2006. Identification and botanical delayed toxicity. If mortality was not observed, the authentication were done by Mr. Usang Felix Inah procedure was repeated until the highest dose of 8 of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, g/kg was obtained. where a voucher specimen (No. FHI 107277) was deposited for future reference. Acetic acid-induced writhing in mice Mice were randomly allocated into groups of Extraction five animals per group. The animals received nor- The stem bark was carefully separated from the mal saline (10 mL/kg, i.p.), acetylsalicylic acid (100 woody part, cut into small bits, sun-dried and pul- mg/kg, sc. suspended in 5% tragacanth in normal verized using a grinder (Lab. mill, serial no. 4745, saline), or aqueous extract (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg, Christy and Norris Ltd., England). The powdered i.p.). Acetylsalicylic acid or extract was adminis- material (400 g) was macerated in 2 L of hot dis- tered to the animals 30 and 60 min, respectively, tilled water (60OC) which was allowed to cold and before intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid (10 filtered after 24 h. The filtrate was evaporated to mg/kg, 1% v/v in normal saline). The animals were dryness in an oven set at 40OC until constant weight observed for writhes which consisted of constriction was obtained. The yield was 26.4% with reference of the abdominal muscles together with stretching of to the powdered stem bark. The extract obtained was the hind limbs. The writhes were cumulatively stored in closed containers in the refrigerator at -4OC counted for 30 min following acetic acid injection till required. and the analgesic effect determined as described by Koster et al. (9). Phytochemical screening The powdered stem bark of Stereospermum Hot plate test in mice kunthianum was screened for the presence of bioac- The method of Woolfe and MacDonald (10) tive constituents by the method of Odebiyi and but modified by Zimer et al. (11) was used. The Sofowora (7). responsiveness to nociceptive stimulus was meas- ured with the hot plate analgesimeter (Harvard Animals Apparatus Ltd., UK). The hot plate temperature was Approval for the use of animals for analgesic maintained at 55 ± 1OC. The licking, biting of the experiments had been obtained from the Ethical hind paw or jumping was taken as an indication of Committee of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University pain perception. Mice screened 24 h previously for of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. Wistar rats and Swiss suitable reaction time were used. A cut-off time of mice of either sex obtained from the Animal House 60 s was adopted to prevent tissue damage. Animals unit of the Department of Pharmacology & were placed on the hot plate surface in a glass cylin- Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of der of about 20 cm in diameter. The time in seconds Benin, Benin City, Nigeria were used. The animals between the placement and licking, biting of the maintained under standard laboratory conditions (12 hind paw or jumping was recorded as the index of h light and dark cycles) had free access to standard response latency. Each animal served as its own chow (Bendel Feeds and Flour Mill, Plc. Ewu, control, thus one hour before pretreatment, its basal Nigeria) and water. latency was taken twice at 15 min intervals. The mean of these two values constituted the basal Acute toxicity response latency prior to treatment. The animals Acute toxicity was performed according to the were randomly divided into groups of five mice OECD-423 guidelines (8). Intraperitoneal acute tox- each. The animals were administered normal saline icity was studied in rats and mice. The animals had (10 mL/kg i.p.), extract (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg, i.p.) free access to feed and drinking water. Adult Wistar or morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before place- rats (110-130 g) and Swiss mice (20 ñ 25 g) of either ment on the hot plate. Response latencies were taken sex were randomly allocated into groups of five ani- at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min and analgesic effect deter- mals per group. They were administered intraperi- mined as described (10, 11). Analgesic activity of aqueous extract of Stereospermum kunthianum... 85 Tail flick test in rats latency. Tail flick latency was recorded at 30, 60, 90, The analgesic effect was determined according and 120 min and the analgesic effect determined (12). to the method of DíAmour and Smith (12). A radiant tail flick analgesimeter (Harvard Apparatus Ltd., UK) Formalin test in mice was used. The flick responses were elicited by apply- The test was performed according to described ing a constant infrared light beam maintained at 70% standard procedure (13, 14). Mice were randomly intensity to the tail end of the rat. The tail flick laten- allotted into five groups of five animals each. The cy in seconds constituted the animalís reaction time to animals were given normal saline (10 mL/kg i.p.), the heat stimulus. Rats screened 24 h previously for extract (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg, i.p.) or morphine suitable reaction time based on their tail flick latency (10 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before subcutaneous injec- of 10 ñ 15 s were used. A cut-off time of 30 s was tion of 20 microlitres of 1% formalin into the right adopted to prevent tissue damage.