Evaluation of analgesic activity of Aegle marmelos steam bark in experimental animals

Background: Alleviation of pain has always remained a prime concern of medicine. Numbers of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs like aspirin, indomethacin, phenylbutazone etc. are in practice, but because of their side effects, there is extensive search for new drugs and molecules with fewer side effects. Search for newer anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents having better or at least equal efficacy with minimal side effects is continuing throughout the world. Therefore, the search should continue and it is felt that herbal medicine has still a lot in store. Aegle marmelos is one of the most frequently used plant in the traditional and folklore systems of medicine and in religious rituals. Various activities of different parts like roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds of AM were evaluated. It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective and many other activities.Methods: Analgesic activities of AMSBAE (50,100 and 200 mg/kg p.o.) were studied using tail flick test and acetic acid-induced writhes in rats and mice respectively.Results: AMSBAE produces dose dependent analgesic activity in the tail flick test and acetic acid-induced writhing in mice (P<0.05).Conclusions: AMSBAE has analgesic activity. The analgesic activity of AMSBAE was comparable to that of tramadol and Aspirin. Hence, AMSBAE could be a possible alternative to NSAIDs