EVALUATION OF ANALGESIC, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTIPYRETIC ACTIVITY OF HYDROMETHANOLIC AND ESSENTIAL OIL EXTRACTS OF LAGGERA CRISPATA LEAVES (ASTERACEAE) IN MICE

Abstract

Background: Pain and inflammation continue to be the most difficult and persistent health issues. Drugs that are used for treatment usually are expensive and have side effects like GI problem and bleeding. L. crispata is a popular herb known for relieving pain, inflammation, and fever. However, the in vivo activity of this plant has not been extensively studied. The objective of the current research was to evaluate the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects of 80% hydromethanolic extract and the essential oil extract of L. crispata leaves in mice. Methods: Laggera crispata shed-dried leaves were extracted through three consecutive macerations in a hydromethanolic solvent. The essential oil was obtained from fresh L. crispata leaves using hydrodistillation with a Clevenger apparatus. Acute oral toxicity tests for both 80% hydromethanolic and essential oil extracts were conducted. The analgesic effects were evaluated using chemical techniques and the hot plate method. For assessing anti-inflammatory activity, carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma models were employed. Finally, yeast-induced pyrexia model was used to assess the antipyretic efficacy of the extracts. Result: For both extracts, a limited dose of 2 g/kg did not result in toxicity. Crude and essential oil extract of L. crispata demonstrated significant (p < 0.001) analgesic activity in the acetic acid-induced writhing model at all doses compared to negative. In the hot plate method, the crude extract at doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg showed notable analgesic effects (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively), while the essential oil extract exhibited significant effects at the same doses (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001) compared to negative. Both the 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg doses of the essential oil extract resulted in significant (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001) reductions in paw edema, with the crude extract at 400 mg/kg also showing a significant (p < 0.05) reduction starting at one hour compared to negative. Both extracts at all doses resulted in significant (p < 0.001) inhibition of inflammatory exudate formation and granuloma mass compared to negative. The crude extract showed significant mean temperature reductions at all test doses (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001), and the essential oil at doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg demonstrated significant effects (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001) after 1.5 hrs post-treatment compared to negative. Conclusion: In general, the results obtained from the current study demonstrate that both the 80% hydromethanolic and essential oil extracts of L. crispata possess significant antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects, supporting traditional claims