PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF RHIZOMES OF ACORUS CALAMUS FOR ANALGESIC ACTIVITY

Objective: To evaluate the analgesic activity of aqueous extract of rhizomes of Acorus calamusin mice.Methods: Analgesic activity of aqueous extracts of A. calamus at different doses were studied using the hot plate method. The study was carried out at three different dose levels (5, 25 and 50 mg/kg) ofA. calamus, given subcutaneously to mice.Results: The different dose of aqueous extracts of A. calamus showed dose and time dependent analgesic effect and maximum effect was observed at 50 mg/kg dose of extract after 90 min of administration, which was comparable to diclofenac sodium, used as standard drug in the study.Conclusion: The aqueous extract of rhizomes of A. calamuswas found to be effective analgesic in mice using the hot plate method. This study merits further detailed pharmacological investigation of this extract as well as isolation and characterization of its bioactive chemical constituents (s)