Anti-Nociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Araucaria bidwillii Hook

The effect of alcoholic extracts of leaf from Araucaria bidwillii Hook. [ABH] (Family: Araucariaceae) was evaluated in experimental models of pain and inflammation. Oral administration of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg of leaf extracts of ABH were used for the above study. The leaf extract at 300 and 200 mg/kg showed significant reduction in acetic acid induced writhings in mice with a maximum effect of 65.1% reduction at 300 mg/kg dose. In hot plate method the percentage of pain inhibition was found to be 81.69% and 66.1% with both the tested dose of the leaf extract respectively. The effect produced by the alcoholic extract at the highest dose was comparable to that of acetyl salicylic acid at 100 mg/kg (91.52%). The alcoholic extracts of A. bidwillii showed significant inhibition in carrageenan (18.61%, 32.12% and 45.64%) and serotonin (32.81%, 38.68% and 40.75%) induced hind paw oedema in rats at 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg of the ABH extract respectively. The anti-inflammatory effects showed by the extract were comparable to that of standard indomethacin 5 mg/kg (68.51% and 63.28%). The results suggest that the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect of the extracts as claimed in folklore medicine, which may be mediated via both peripheral and central mechanisms.