Inhibitory Effect of the
root of Polygala tenuifolia on Bradykinin and COX
2-Mediated Pain and Inflammatory Activity
Jung Jin Oh and Sung-Jin
Kim*
Department of Pharmacology
and Toxicology, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee
University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
*For correspondence:
Email:
kimsj@khu.ac.kr; Tel:
+82-2-961-0868; Fax: +82-2-957-5309.
Received: 17 July
2013
Revised accepted: 2 June 2013
Tropical Journal of
Pharmaceutical Research, October 2013;
12(5):
755-759
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v12i5.14
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-PGF1a
by 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-PGF1a
induction.
Keywords: Polygalae radix, Bradylinin, Prostaglandin, COX-2,
Inflammation, Analgesic
