BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In traditional Iranian medicine, use of medicinal herbs is prevalent for the treatment and alleviation of pain and inflammation. Echinophora Platyloba is one of the major medicinal herbs with confirmed anti-cancer, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal effects. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the analgesic effects of E. platyloba hydroalcoholic extracts in male rats.

METHODS: In this experimental study, 42 rats were divided into six groups, i.e., control group, extract groups (80, 100, and 300 mg/kg via intraperitoneal injection), morphine group (1 mg/kg via intraperitoneal injection), and naloxone group (1 mg/kg of naloxone along with 300 mg/kg of the extract). To evaluate the analgesic effects of the extracts, rating, tail flick, and formalin tests were performed.

FINDINGS: In the writhing test, doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg of the extracts could decrease the rating score from 43.3±22.61 to 27.31±2.34 (p<0.05) and 29.0±67.91 (p<0.01) in the control group, respectively. In addition, administration of 300 mg/kg of the extract in tail flick test decreased the latency time from 2.84±0.76 to 5.52±1.88 sec in the control group (p<0.05). Moreover, in formalin test, 300 mg/kg of the extract reduced the pain score in both acute and chronic phases from 2.18±0.22 to 0.74±0.13 in the control group (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: According to the present results, E. platyloba hydroalcoholic extracts have central and peripheral analgesic effects.