Analgesic Activity and Acute Toxicity Study of Zornia gibbosa Span (Samyojaki) in Mice

Abstract

The herb Zornia gibbosa Span is a member of fabaceae family and commonly known as Nellujollusoppu/Haradahacchaga in Udupi district of Karnataka. The drug is widely used in the treatment of fracture by folklore practitioners to pacify pain and inflammation. In fracture the pain is generated by multiple nociceptors presence in response to discontinuity of periosteum and endosteum during trauma. So in order to justify the folklore claims, pharmacological analysis of drug was undertaken to evaluate analgesic activity using Eddy’s hotplate method. The test drug was administered in the form of freshly prepared Phant kalpana (hot infusion) in dose prescribed to humans which was then converted to animal dose based on body surface area ratio. In the present study, gradual and statistically significant increase in the reaction time was observed suggesting the peak latency period at 150 min. Phant of Zornia gibbosa
showed significant analgesic activity (p = 0.035) by hot plate method suggests its role on opioid receptors for analgesic action. In order to understand the comprehensive mechanism of analgesic action, the drug needs to be further screened for peripheral antinociceptive activity.

Keywords: Zornia gibbosa span., analgesic activity, hot plate method