EVALUATION OF ANTINOCICEPTIVE ACTIVITY, ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES AND TOTAL PHENOLIC CONTENT OF THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF RHUS PENTAPHYLLA LEAVES AND FRUITS FROM MOROCCO

Abstract

The aims of study were to investigate the analgesic, antioxidant activities of Rhus pentaphylla ethanolic extracts (leaves and fruits). Three animal models were used to evaluate the possible analgesic effect such as, hot plate, writhing and formalin tests. The antioxidant activity of both extracts were evaluated using DPPH and FRAP tests. Total phenolic compounds, condensed tannins and flavonoids were also estimated. Our findings demonstrates that ethanolic extracts of Rhus pentaphylla possess an analgesic remarkable effect of leaves followed by fruits in all experimental models, in hot plate assay time of latency was increased significantly (p≤0.001) in treated groups at all doses in comparison to the negative control. In writhing test, treated animals by both extracts at all pharmacological doses demonstrates notable reduction (p≤0.001) of writhing numbers. Concerning formalin test, administration of Rhus pentaphylla extracts reduce significantly (p≤0.001) licking time in both phases indicates a possible central and peripheral mechanisms respectively. Moreover, leaves extract possess an important antioxidant capacity (IC50= 47,20 ± 0,23 µg/ml; IC50= 64,10 ± 0,73 µg/ml for DPPH and FRAP assays respectively) than fruits extract (IC= 55,24 ± 0,26 µg/ml; IC50= 75,30 ± 1,01 µg/ml). This last recorded activity due to the amount of total polyphenols in leaves (13,25 ± 0,01 mg GAE/g DW) as compared to the fruits (12,97 ± 0,26 mg GAE/g DW).