In vivo screening for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of syngonium podophyllum L.: a remarkable herbal medicine

Abstract

Aims: Algesia and inflammation are strongly connected with several pathological conditions. Searching for natural healing agents with a better safety profile for the treatment of these conditions are ongoing due to multiple unwanted effects associated with synthetic pharmaceuticals. Therefore the purpose of this study was to analyse the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the Syngonium podophyllum (S. podophyllum) L. leaves. Study Design: The fresh leaves of S. podophyllum L. were extracted with methanol (CME) followed by fractionation using n-hexane (NHF), chloroform (CLF), ethyl acetate (EAF) and water (AQF). Then analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of crude extract and its fractions were determined using standard methods. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January to April 2017. Methodology: Tail immersion and acetic acid induced writhing tests were used for the determination of analgesic activity, whereas anti-inflammatory activity was determined by carrageenan induced paw edema test. Results: Among the plant extract and its fractions, CME showed significantly higher (60.53%, P < 0.001) analgesic activity in the tail immersion test. In the acetic acid-induced writhing test, CME also showed marked inhibition (59.58%, P < 0.01) of algesia with respect to remaining fractions. CME demonstrated significant (71.11%, P < 0.001) anti-inflammatory effect than the other fractions in carrageenan induced paw edema test. Conclusion: The denouements of this study showed that the crude extracts of the S. podophyllum L. leaf have an effective analgesic, anti-inflammatory activities and thereby possess an excellent source of natural agents which could be developed in the treatment of diseases related to algesia and inflammation.