Abstract

ANTINOCICEPTIVE ACTIVITY EVALUATION OF CORMS OF COLOCASIA ESCULENTA VAR ESCULENTA

Mohd. Najib Mostafa, Md. Hamidul Islam and Mohammed Rahmatullah*

Abstract

Objective: There are more than 200 cultivars of Colocasia esculenta commonly known in English as taro and in Bengali as kochu. The cultivars differ in the pattern of their foliage or in the shape and number of corms (also known as tubers) and cormels, the latter growing from the sides of the main corm. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antinociceptive potential of methanolic extract of Colocasia esculenta var esculenta (L.) Schott corm and cormels (MECEE). Methods: Extract was administered orally at doses of 50-400 mg/kg. Antinociceptive activity was assessed in intraperitoneally injected acetic acid-induced pain model. Results: In acetic acid-induced pain model, the extract reduced the number of abdominal constrictions by 27.0, 40.5, 51.4, and 67.6%, respectively, at doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg. A standard analgesic drug, aspirin (200 and 400 mg/kg) reduced abdominal constrictions by 37.8 and 59.5%, respectively. Conclusion: The extract possesses significant antinociceptive potential.

Keywords: Colocasia esculenta var esculenta, Araceae, antinociceptive, writhing.