Antinociceptive effects of the essential oil of Croton nepetaefolius on mice
Open Access
- 1 October 2002
- journal article
- Published by FapUNIFESP (SciELO) in Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
- Vol. 35 (10), 1215-1219
- https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-879x2002001000015
Abstract
Croton nepetaefolius Baill. is an aromatic plant native to the northeast of Brazil where it is extensively used in folk medicine as a sedative, orexigen and antispasmodic agent. In the present study the antinoci- ceptive effects of the essential oil of C. nepetaefolius (EOCn), admin- istered orally, were evaluated in male Swiss mice (20-25 g). In the acetic acid-induced writhing test, EOCn (100 and 300 mg/kg; N = 14 and N = 12, respectively) was effective at the highest dose. In the hot- plate test, EOCn at 30 and 300 mg/kg, but not at 3 mg/kg, significantly increased the latency at all observation times up to the 180th min (N = 12 for each dose). In the formalin test, EOCn significantly reduced paw licking in the second phase of the test at 100 mg/kg (N = 12), but decreased it in both phases at 300 mg/kg (N = 12). At 30 mg/kg, the effect of EOCn did not differ from control values in either phase of the formalin test (N = 6). Pretreatment with naloxone (5 mg/kg, ip) significantly reversed the analgesic effect of morphine (5 mg/kg, sc) on both phases, but not that of EOCn at 300 mg/kg (N = 6) on both phases of the formalin test. The data show that orally administered EOCn promotes a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect whose mechanisms remain to be elucidated.Keywords
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