ANTINOCICEPTIVE EFFECTS OF TRIGONELLA-FOENUM-GRAECUM LEAVES EXTRACT

There are some reports concerning the antinociceptive effects of the p lant Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) in Iranian traditional medicine. Because of the side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and anti nociceptive drugs, and in search for more potent and less harmful comp ounds, we tried to study the antinocicptive effects of TFG leaves by u sing tail-hick and formalin tests. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administrati on of 500 mg/kg of TFG extract and 100 and 300 mg/kg of sodium salicyl ate (SS), as a positive control, did not show any effect in the tail-f lick test, but the 1000 and 2000 mg/kg of the extract produced signifi cant increase in the tail-flick latency. SS (300 mg/kg, i.p.) induced antinociception in the second phase of the formalin test. TFG (500 mg/ kg, i.p.) demonstrated antinociception only in the first phase, but 10 00 and 2000 mg/kg, i.p. doses alleviated the pain in both phases. Prel iminary LD50 of the extract was very close to 4000 mg/kg, i.p. We conc lude that: (1) the extract of TFG leaves produces antinociceptive effe cts through central and peripheral mechanisms; (2) the antinociceptive effects of 2000 mg/kg of the extract was more potent than 300 mg/kg o f SS. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.