Screening of Analgesic Activity of Balanites roxburghii

It is aimed to evaluate the analgesic activity of fractions and aqueous residue of pericarpium methanolic extract of Balanites roxburghi, at the doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg. In Ayurvedic, the fruit of the allied species Balanites aegyptiaca is being used as analgesic. Pain is a common phenomenon in all animals, at least in vertebral animals, similar to that felt by man. Analgesic effects in animals are comparable with the therapeutic effects in man. The tribal people have been using the aqueous juice of pericarpium of B. roxburghii for relieving the pain since long time. Mice were used as experimental animals and administered test drugs orally. Analgesic activity was studied using the hot plate, tail flick and acetic acid induced writhing methods. The butanolic fraction showed promising activity in all the tests. The analgesic effect of the butanolic fraction at a dose of 100 mg/kg was more than that observed with the same fraction at a dose of 50 mg/kg. No analgesic activity was observed with dichloromethane fraction and aqueous residue. The observations suggest that the pericarpium of B. roxburghii possesses potential analgesic action.