ABSTRACT

Icacina trichantha, a traditional medicinal plant, has been used for various therapeutic purposes. This study aims to evaluate the analgesic and antioxidant properties of Icacina trichantha extract in rodent models.

Methods: Two experimental protocols were designed. In the first experiment, 30 mice were divided into five groups (n=6 per group). Group 1 (normal control) received distilled water, Group 2 received ibuprofen (300 mg/kg) orally, while Groups 3, 4, and 5 received the extract at doses of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg, respectively, 30 minutes before intraperitoneal administration of 0.6% acetic acid. The analgesic effect was assessed by the reduction in writhing responses.

In the second experiment, 35 rats were divided into five groups (n=7 per group) and treated with the extract at doses of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and distilled water (control) for 14 days. The antioxidant profile was evaluated by measuring catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) levels in the brain, liver, and kidney.

Results: The extract at 100 mg/kg significantly reduced the number of writhes in the mice model, indicating a potent analgesic effect. In the antioxidant study, there was an increase in catalase activity in the kidney at 200 mg/kg, no significant change in GSH levels, an increase in MDA levels in the brain at 100 mg/kg, and a decrease in SOD activity in the kidney at 400 mg/kg.

Conclusion: Icacina trichantha extract demonstrates significant analgesic effects at 100 mg/kg in mice. Additionally, it exhibits dose-dependent antioxidant effects, with notable increases in kidney catalase activity and brain MDA levels. These findings suggest that Icacina trichantha may possess valuable therapeutic properties, warranting further investigation into its pharmacological potential and underlying mechanisms.

Keywords: Icacina trichantha, analgesic, antioxidant, mice, rats, catalase, SOD, MDA, glutathione.