effect of hydroethanolic extract of rubus fruticosus on neuropathic pain in wistar diabetic rats

background: diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder with many complications such as neuropathic pain which relief from it is a dilemma. objectives: to investigate the effect of hydroethanolic extract of rubus fruticosus on neuropathic pain in diabetic rats. materials and methods: in this experimental case –control study, forty eight male wistar rats (250±20 g) were divided randomly to non-diabetic and diabetic groups. streptozotocin (60 mg/kg, intra-peritoneal) was used to induce experimental diabetes. each group was divided into three groups: receiving orally normal saline, 100 and 200 mg/kg doses of rubus fruticosus extract for 30 days. at the end the rats were subjected to tail-flick test. the data were analyzed by one-way and two-way anova followed by tukey’s test in spss 21. results: in a paired comparison, all diabetic groups had shorter latency of tail-flicking time (p < 0.01) and lower pain tolerance threshold. also among diabetic rats, significant differences existed between saline group and group receiving the extract at a dose of 100 mg/kg (p < 0.01), between saline group and the group receiving the extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg (p < 0.001) and also between the groups receiving extract at two different doses (p < 0.001). but, only diabetic group receiving the extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg showed positive significant difference with non-diabetic control group (p < 0.01). conclusions: the hydroethanolic extract of rubus fruticosus can heighten the pain tolerance threshold and reduce the neuropathic pain induced by diabetes mellitus.