ANALGESIC ACTIVITY OF BARK AND LEAVES OF FICUS RELIGIOSA L. FROM NEPAL

Objective: Because of adverse side effects, caused by NSAIDs, tolerance, and dependence induced by opiates, the use of these analgesic agents has not been successful in all cases. Therefore, alternative analgesic drugs from plant sources are the new target now days. The objective of this study was to evaluate the analgesic activity of ethanolic extracts of stem barks and leaves of Ficus religiosa. Methods: The analgesic activity of ethanolic extract of stem barks and leaves was evaluated in the Swiss albino mice model using acetic acid-induced writing response and Eddy’s hot plate method. Analgesic activity was demonstrated with the percentage inhibition of acetic acid induced writings and the percentage increased in latency time of paw licking. The potency of test extracts was compared with standard drug, Diclofenac. Results: Ethanolic extract of leaves and bark of F. religiosa showed potential analgesic activity from both methods. From Eddy’s hot plate model, it was observed that the percentage of increased latency time at 90 min by ethanolic extract of leaves and stem bark was found to be 70.81 % (8.54 min) and 70.78 % (8.53 min) respectively at a dose of 400 mg/kg. Both of these results are statistically significant (p<0.05) as compared to the test group. Furthermore, both of these extracts showed the dose-dependent and time-dependent increased in latency time and these results are compared to that of standard drug Diclofenac. Similarly, ethanolic extract of leaves and stem at 400 mg/kg significantly inhibited the number of writhings induced by acetic acid. The percentage inhibition of writhings by ethanolic extract of leaves at a dose of 400 mg/kg was 68.47 % which was similar to that of standard drug Diclofenac (68.47 %). However, ethanolic extract of bark showed relatively lower percentage inhibition (60.79 %) as compared to leaf extract and standard, but the result was significant as compared to that of the test group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Ethanolic extracts of F. religiosa stem bark and leaf possess both central and peripheral analgesic properties and these effects may be beneficial for the management of pain