Evaluation of the analgesic potential of basella alba (L.) leaves (basellaceae)

Abstract

Basella alba is used in traditional medicine as an analgesic, androgenic, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and in the treatment of anaemia, infertility in men, constipation, gonorrhea and hypertension. This study aimed at evaluation of the analgesic potential of B. alba leaves towards its further utilization in drug development. The powdered leave of B. alba was successively extracted using n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol. Acute toxicity studies of the extracts were also conducted using the Lorke’s method. The B. alba leave extracts were evaluated using the acetic acid-induced writhing test and thermally-induced pain in Albino mice. The results from the study showed that methanol and ethyl acetate extracts showed no sign of toxicity but the highest dose of n-hexane extract (1000 mg/kg) showed a sign of toxicity. The leave extracts of B. alba produced a significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent anti-nociceptive effect against acetic acid-induced peritoneal pain when compared with the standard drug (piroxicam). The latency of the extract increased significantly (p< 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner and the findings showed that the n-hexane extract of B. alba has higher analgesic activity when compared to the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts. This provides a rationale for its traditional use in the management of pain.