Analgesic and Hepatoprotective Effects of Chelidonium Majus L

Abstract

Water extract of Chelidonium majus L. (CM) was investigated for analgesic effect in mice and hepatoprotective effect in rats. Analgesic activity of the extract was tested using tail-flick test. Mice were injected CM intraperitoneally (i.p.) in doses of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg end 200 mg/kg. Pain tresholds were measured with tail-flick test before administration and at 30th, 90th and 150th minutes after treatment. Hepatoprotective activity of CM on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced acute liver toxicity was also studied. Rats were injected CM i.p. in doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg. CM had no analgesic activity at 50 and 100 mg/kg doses. However at 200 mg/kg dose, it produced higher analgesic activity than aspirin at 90th minute. At the 150th minute, its analgesic activity was equal to that of aspirin. CM (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) showed no significant influence on the increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and bilirubine in CCl4 treated animals. Histopathological examination did not reveal any significant difference between CM (100 mg/kg) and CCl4 groups. The results of this study clearly indicate that C. majus. has analgesic activity at 200 mg/kg dose in mice. However C. majus. has no hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver toxicity in rats.