Abstracto

Evaluation of Analgesic Activity of Herbal Formulation Triphala and Comparison with That of Paracetamol in Mice

Kesha S Vaidya, Nilay B Modi, Rima B Shah, and Sanjay K Date

To evaluate analgesic activity of herbal formulation „triphala‟ and compare it with paracetamol by using Eddy‟s hot plate and writhing test in mice. Albino mice were divided into three groups of 6 each for both tests. Triphala(1 gm/kg/body wieght) and Paracetamol(1.45 mg/20 gm of mice) made as suspensions prepared in 2% carboxy methyl cellulose (control) and were fed to mice orally. In Eddy‟s hot plate method, pain tolerance was recorded at baseline and then at every 30 minutes for 4 hours after drug administration. In writhing test, after 30 minutes of drug administration, the animals were treated with 0.6% acetic acid intraperitoneally and number of writhings was counted for 5 min and results were compared. In Eddy‟s hot plate method, triphala showed analgesic activity 30 minutes after drug administration with mean pain tolerance time of 10.88±1.57 seconds(P<0.05), while paracetamol showed analgesic activity at 120 minutes with pain tolerance time 11.18±2.55(P<0.05) compared to baseline. Effects were lasting for 210 minutes in triphala group and for >240 min in paracetamol group. In writhing test, triphala showed significant analgesic activity (26.33±3.38, p<0.05) while paracetamol did not show significant analgesic activity (29.17±3.43, p>0.05) compared with control in 5 minute writhing count. Comparison between the two drugs, did not show any statistical difference (P>0.05) in both models. Triphala has immediate onset and short duration analgesic effect while Paracetamol has late onset with longer duration of action as analgesic. Triphala could be effective analgesic in visceral pain as shown in writhing test.