In vivo analgesic activity of ethanolic extracts of two medicinal plants - Scoparia dulcis L. and Ficus racemosa Linn.

Abstract

Fruits and whole herb of two medicinal plants, Ficus racemosa Linn. (Moraceae) and Scoparia dulcis L. (Scrophulariacae) were extracted in 95% ethanol to evaluate for centrally acting analgesic potential using hot plate and peripheral pharmacological actions using acetic acid induced writhing test in mice. The crude extracts of both the plants were found to have significant (p<0.001) analgesic activity at the oral dose of 100 & 200 mg/kg b. wt., in the tested models. In hot plate test S. dulcis showed increased latency period than F. racemosa whereas in acetic acid induced writhing test F. racemosa showed reduced number of writhes than S. dulcis at two dose levels which are significant (p<0.001) compared to control. The results obtained support the use of fruits of F. racemosa and whole herb of S. dulcis in painful conditions acting both centrally and peripherally