Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the saponins rich fraction of Dioscorea deltoidea (D. deltoidea) for possible antinociceptive activity.
METHODS: Saponins were extracted from the crude methanolic extract of D. deltoidea (Wall). Presence of saponins was confirmed through phytochemical screenings. Acute toxicity test was performed to determine safe dose range of the saponins rich fraction (n-butanol fraction) using balb C Mice. The saponins rich fraction was assessed for possible antinociceptive activity using acetic acid induced writhing method and hot plate method. Data was analyzed using Graph Pad Prism 6. ANOVA was used to determine the significance of test samples versus positive control at 95% CI with p<0.05.
RESULTS: The results showed that crude saponin rich fraction was safe up to test dose of 1000 mg/kg administered orally. In acetic acid induced writhing method, its test samples in doses of 10 and 50 mg/kg showed respectively 75.51% and 85.71% inhibition of writhing, while diclofenac sodium showed 74.4% inhibition of writhing. Percent inhibition of latency time of test samples increased from 87.87% to 133.6% in test doses of 10 mg/kg to 100 mg/kg dose, respectively, while Tramadol showed latency time of 85.12% within 30 minutes of its administration.
CONCLUSION: Saponins rich n-butanol fraction of Dioscorea deltoidea (D.deltoidea) showed significant antinociceptive activity.