ABSTRACT

 This study was carried out to access and investigate the analgesic potentials of aqueous stem extract of Loranthus micranthus in albino wistar rats. The twenty (20) male rats with the body weight 100 - 120 g were divided into four (4) experimental group with five (5) animals in each group. Group A received normal saline group B received aspirin (standard drug) 20 mg/kg group C and D received 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weight of aqueous stem extract of Loranthus micranthus respectively and was orally administered for 7 days. At the end of the experiment the animal were used to access the protective effect of aqueous stem extract Loranthus micranthus on writing induced by acetic acid, Tail flick assay and hot plate test. In this study the protective effect of aqueous stem extract of Loranthus micranthus on writing induced by acetic acid revealed a dose-dependent protective effect which reached a maximum inhibition of42.7% (p < 0.05) at a dose of 500mg/kg. Aspirin (standard drug) 20 mg/kg exerted a significant effect with percentage protection of 56.4%. For the hot plate assay, aqueous stem extract of Loranthus micranthus in dose of 500 mg/kg (p < 0.05) showed a significant elongation reaction time in a dose dependent manner, Aspirin (standard drugs) 20 mg/kg exerted a significant elongation reaction time when compared to the extract treated groups. The result of the tail tick assay, aqueous stem extract of Loranthus micranthus in dose of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg (p < 0.05) showed a significant elongation reaction time in a dose dependent manner, Aspirin (standard drug) 20 mg/kg exerted a significant elongation reaction time when compared to the extract treated groups. The oral administration aqueous stem extract of Loranthus micranthus demonstrated a significant analgesic activity and may be acting through inhibition of prostaglandin pathway and through peripheral pain mechanism.