Antinociceptive Activities Of Acetone Leaves Extracts Of Carissa Spinarum And Caesalpinia Volkensii In Mice

Despite the progress that has occurred in recent years in the development of therapy, there is still a need for effective and potent analgesics for pain. Pain is defined as unpleasant feeling essential for body‘s defense system. Pain is managed using analgesics such as aspirin,paracetamol, diclofenac, morphine, opioids, among others. Conventional antinociceptives are expensive and have many side effects. Continued use of these drugs may lead to tolerance. Medicinal plants have been used to relieve pain and form a better alternative. Herbal antinoceptives are affordable and have arguably fewer side effects. Carissa spinarum (Linn) is used to treat rheumatoid pain, fever and inflammation related disorders. Caesalpinia volkensii (Harms) has pharmacological activities that include antimicrobial,immune modulatory properties and antimalarial. These two plants are used locally by people in Embu County as analgesics.This study was designed to bioscreen the acetone leaves extracts of C. volkensii (Harms) and C. spinarum (Linn) for anti-nociceptive potential. The plant parts were collected from Siakago-Mbeere north sub-county, Embu County, Kenya. The samples were prepared and extraction of the active compounds carried out using organic solvent acetone in the ratio1:2.Swiss albino mice were divided into five groups of five mice each: Normal, negative, reference and experimental group.Pain was induced experimentally using formalin and acetic acid. The experimental groups were treated with 50 and 100mg/kg dose quantities of each plant extracts prepared. The acetone leaves extracts of the two plants were evaluated for antinociceptive properties in mice compared to the reference drug diclofenac sodium. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with doses of the herbs, diclofenac and the vehicle.