Antinociceptive Activity of Stem Extract of Telfairia occidentalis Hook in Rodents

Antinociceptive Activity of Stem Extract of Telfairia occidentalis Hook in Rodents

Jude Efiom Okokon1*, Ukeme Essien Andrew1, Chinyelu Clementina Osigwe2, Uwaeme Ugonma Florence2

 

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria.
  2. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Madonna University, Elele, Rivers State.

 

Key words:

Telfairia occidentalis, analgesic, pain, mice

 

 

 

 

*Corresponding author: judeefiom@yahoo.com;
DOI:https://doi.org/10.61594/tnpr.v6i1.2025.119

Page No: 35-44
Volume: 6, Issue 1, 2025
Trends in Natural Products Research
Copy Right: NAPREG

Abstract

Telfairia occidentalis Hook (Cucurbitaceae) is a vegetable employed in Ibibio traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases such as malaria, pains and fever among others. The stem extract of T. occidentalis (200-600 mg/kg) was evaluated for analgesic activity against experimentally-induced pains in mice using acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin-induced hind paw licking and thermally-induced pain models. The stem extract significantly (P < 0.05-0.001) inhibited pains in all the models tested in a dose-dependent fashion. The extract caused reduction in acetic acid-induced writhing, inhibited the two phases of formalin-induced pains with a more considerable inhibition of the second phase and prolonged the reaction time of mice dose – dependently in thermally-induced pain. The findings of this study show that the stem extract possess analgesic activity which confirms its use in traditional medicine in the treatment of pains.