European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ANALGESIC, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTI-OXIDANT ACTIVITY OF INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANT ON RODENTS

Amtul Aziz Afia*, Amtul Muqeet Rafia, Sushma Attuluri, Mohammed Nayeem Uddin, Urooj Fatima and Shaik Zubair

ABSTRACT

Inflammation is the response to injury of cells and body tissues through different factors such as infections, chemicals, thermal and mechanical injuries. Most of the anti inflammatory drugs presently available are potential inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism which produces prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are the mediators of inflammation. Inflammation is accompanied by redness, swelling, pain (analgesia). Inhibition of prostaglandins synthesis is essential to treat inflammation. Hence, for treating inflammatory diseases, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents are required. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most widely used medications due to their efficacy for a wide range of pain and inflammatory conditions. But, the long-term administration of NSAIDs may induce gastro-intestinal ulcers, bleeding and renal disorders due to their non-selective inhibition of both constitutive (COX-1) and inducible (COX-2) isoforms of the cyclooxygenase enzymes. Therefore, there is a need to develop new anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs with potent activity, less side effects are being searched all over the world as alternatives to NSAIDs and opiates. Medicinal plants are believed to be an important source of new chemical substances with potential therapeutic effects. Cauliflower is a vegetable that belongs to the Cabbage family, which is also the Brassicaceae family or Cruciferae. Its scientific name is Brassica oleracea var. botrytis. The aim of this study was to carry out the phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of BRASSICA OLERACEA as potential anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent on rats and mice and in-vitro evaluation of antioxidant property. To investigate the phyto-constituents present in Brassica oleracea (stem, leaves and flowers).To perform acute toxicity studies on Brassica oleracea. To investigate the analgesic effect of Brassica oleraceaon mice using: 1) Acetic acid induced abdominal writhing in mice. 2) Eddy‟s hot plate plate method. 3) To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of Brassica oleracea on rats using. 4) Carageenan induced paw edema. The experimental findings in the study demonstrated the peripheral analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of BRASSICA OLERACEA (Cauliflower florets). Mainly EECF (200 and 400 mg/kg) was found to be highly effective. The results suggested that the mechanism of action of EECF seems to be similar to NSAID‟s rather than to steroidal drugs. The study justified and supported scientifically the ethno-pharmacological use of the plant as an anti-inflammatory agent to treat pain and inflammation.

Keywords: Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Oxidant, Medicinal Plant, Rodents, Screening, Evaluation.