Unravelling The Potential Analgesic Properties Of Achyranthes Aspera Extract: An Investigation Towards Natural Pain Management

Abstract

A sickness is "an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions. The present research was based on the unravelling the potential analgesic properties of Achyranthes aspera extract. Achyranthes aspera Linn., belonging to family Amaranthaceae, is commonly found as a weed on way side and at waste places throughout India. A powder of dried leaf mixed with honey is useful in the early stages of asthma. The fresh stem of Achyranthes aspera was collected from Haridwar region and authenticated from a botanist with ref. no Bot.-Micro/0/2023 at Department of Botany and Microbiology, Gurukul Kangri (Deemed to be University), Haridwar. After weighing the powder, it was extracted through Soxhlet apparatus using distilled water. Using a rotary evaporator, the mixture's resulting slurry is dried under partial vacuum. Wistar rats of both sexes weighing 130-150g were obtained from Animal House, Gurukula Kangri Deemed University Haridwar (Uttarakhand). Rodents were divided into 4 groups (n=6) i.e., group 1: administered saline water daily, group 2: administered aspirin (150mg/kg, i. p.), group 3: administered aqueous stem extract of Achyranthes aspera (ASAA) (200mg/kg, i. p.) and group 4: administered aqueous stem extract of Achyranthes aspera (ASAA) (400mg/kg, i. p.) for 21 days. For evaluation of analgesic activity, parameters i.e., acetic acid-induced writhing test, hot plate and tail-flick were performed. In results, the aqueous stem extract of Achyranthes aspera (200mg/kg & 400mg/kg) exhibited statistically significant analgesic activity when compared with control group. They significantly increased the basal reaction time at diverse time intervals and activity was in dose-dependent manner. It might be due to presence of flavonoids and terpenoids. So, it might be effective in the management of pain and its subtypes. It refers to determine the mode of action that stem extract of Achyranthes aspera subsides pain.