Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Inhibitory Effect of the root of Polygala tenuifolia on Bradykinin and COX 2-Mediated Pain and Inflammatory Activity

Jung Jin Oh, Sung-Jin Kim

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea;

For correspondence:- Sung-Jin Kim Email: kimsj@khu.ac.kr Tel:+8229610868

Received: 17 July 2013 Accepted: 2 June 2013 Published: 18 October 2013

Citation: Oh JJ, Kim S. Inhibitory Effect of the root of Polygala tenuifolia on Bradykinin and COX 2-Mediated Pain and Inflammatory Activity. Trop J Pharm Res 2013; 12(5):755-759 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v12i5.14

© 2013 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To gain insight into the mechanisms of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the root extract of Polygala tenuifolia.

Methods: Polygala tenuifolia was extracted with 70 % methanol and tested for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mg/kg) using the following models: acetic acid-induced writhing, rat paw edema, bradykinin inhibtion with rat ileum, and prostaglandin assay.

Results: Administration of the Polygala tenuifolia extract at 100 mg/kg dose produced significant analgesic effect on acetic acid-induced writhing (97 % inhibition) but its effect in the tail-flick test was not significant (p < 0.05). In addition, the extract exerted significant anti-inflammatory effect in the rat paw edema model (8 to 33 % inhibition) at doses ranging from 0.1 - 100.0 mg/kg). A significant inhibitory action (53%) on the bradykinin-mediated contractions of rat ileum was also observed. Furthermore, the extract significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the production of lipopolysaccharides-induced 6-keto-PGF₁_aby 28% in macrophage cultures.

Conclusion: These results provide evidence that the Polygala tenuifolia root extract exerts analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects via its significant inhibitory effect on acetic acid writhing test, bradykinin-mediated actions as well as on 6-keto-PGF_1ainduction.

Keywords: Polygalae radix, Bradylinin, Prostaglandin, COX-2, Inflammation, Analgesic