ANTI- INFLAMMATORY AND ANTINOCICEPTIVE ACTIVITY OF Pterospermum acerifolium LEAVES

Pterospermum acerifolium (L) Willd (Family: Sterculiaceae) has long been used traditionally for the treatment of painful inflammatory conditions in the Indian folk medicine. Objective: In the present study we have evaluated antinociceptive effects and anti-inflammatory effects of unsaponified petroleum ether extract of Pterospermum acerifolium leaves (USPEL, 100 and 200 mg/kg orally) and isolated β-sitosterol (10 and 20 mg/kg) from the leaves. USPEL and β-sitosterol are evaluated for its anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced paw edema model in rats and analgesic activity in acetic acid-induced writhing, hot plate and formalin induced paw licking models in mice. USPEL (200mg/kg) and β-sitosterol (20mg/kg) significantly (p<0.05) inhibited the writhing response 71.95%, 60.84% respectively. In hot plate method USPEL and β-sitosterol showed highest increase in reaction time which is comparable to the standard pentazocin. The USPEL significantly (p<0.05) and in dose dependent manner decreased the time spent on licking in both the first and second phases in formalin-induced nociception in mice. USPEL and β-sitosterol significantly (p<0.05) reduced the carrageenan induced rat paw edema in a dose dependent manner. These findings demonstrate that other constituents alongwith β-sitosterol may be responsible for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of USPEL.