Studies on the Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Efficacy of Scindapsus Officinalis (roxb.) Schott in Laboratory Animals

This research was focused on the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of ethanolic extract of Scindapsus officinalis (EESO) fruit in laboratory animals and whether these effects were of any statistical significance. Carrageenan-induced Hind Paw Edema test in long evans rat was the experiment for anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanolic extract of Scindapsus officinalis fruit while hot plate test was carried out to assess its analgesic activity in swiss albino mice. At two different doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight, the analgesic test was evaluated on mice and the anti-inflammatory test was evaluated on rats by the ethanolic extract of the fruit. Phytochemical analysis of ethanolic extract of Scindapsus officinalis has indicated the presence of steroid, carbohydrate, flavonoid, alkaloid, tanin, saponin and terpenoid-compounds. Since these compounds are of pharmacological interest, coupled with the use of this plant in traditional medicine, prompted us for its possible analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The experimental activities for the ethanolic extract of Scindapsus officinalis fruit exhibited statistically significant (p<0.05) anti-inflammatory activity in Carrageenan-induced Hind Paw Edema in long evans rat and statistically significant (P<0.05) analgesic activity in swiss albino mice in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, these observations provide evidence and possible mechanisms of action for the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of fruit of Scindapsus officinalis claimed in Ayurveda medicine. Further studies should be undertaken to correlate the pharmacological activities with the chemical constituents of the fruit of Scindapsus officinalis. INTRODUCTION: Scindapsus officinalis (Roxb.) Schott. is one of the plant used in Indian system of medicine which belongs to family Araceae. It is common in the Midnapore district of west Bengal and cultivated vegetatively for its fruit, which is cut into transverse pieces, dried and used medicinally. QUICK RESPONSE CODE IJPSR: ICV (2011)5.07 Article can be accessed online on: www.ijpsr.com Fruit is very important part of the plant and accepted as raw drug of known properties in both Ayurvedic and Unani system of medicine. The fruit of Scindapsus officinalis is known as Gajpeepal in Ayurveda. Gajpeepal consists of dried, transversely cut pieces of mature female spadix of Scindapsus officinalis (Fam. Araceae). It is found all along the sub-Himalayan tract between an altitude of 330-1000 m in West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman Islands. Fruit occurs in transversely cut circular pieces of about 2.0-3.0 cm in diameter and 2.0-3.5 cm thick, brownish grey, rough and scaly. It has the significant antioxidant property due to presence of flavonoids and phenolic compound and has ability of cytoprotection due to antioxidant property 1 .