Evaluation of the antinociceptive activity and acute oral toxicity of standardized ethanolic extract of the rhizome of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb

Molecules. 2010 Apr 22;15(4):2925-34. doi: 10.3390/molecules15042925.

Abstract

Ethanolic extract of Curcuma xanthorrhiza was used to evaluate the analgesic and toxicity effects in vivo. The extract was standardized using GC-MS, which showed that 1 mg of Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract contains 0.1238 mg of xanthorrhizol. The analgesic activity was studied in rats using three different models, namely the hot plate test, tail flick test and formalin-induced pain test. The acute oral toxicity was examined by the oral administration of standardized Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract in mice at doses ranging from 300-5,000 mg/kg and observation for 14 days. Standardized Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract did not show significant analgesic effect in the hot plate and tail flick tests. However, in the formalin-induced pain test, Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed the paw licking time of rats in both early and late phases at doses 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract, respectively. In the acute oral toxicity study, Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract did not show any toxic effects in mice at 5 g/kg. These experimental results suggest that the standardized Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract showed peripheral and central antinociceptive activity associated with neurogenic pain as well as a relative absence of toxic effects which could compromise the medicinal use of this plant in folk medicine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Analgesics / administration & dosage*
  • Analgesics / chemistry
  • Analgesics / toxicity
  • Animals
  • Curcuma / chemistry*
  • Ethanol / chemistry
  • Female
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Pain / prevention & control
  • Plant Extracts / administration & dosage*
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / toxicity
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Rhizome / chemistry*

Substances

  • Analgesics
  • Plant Extracts
  • Ethanol