ABSTRACT
Lophanthera lactescens is a medicinal plant commonly used in traditional medicine to relieve fever and pain in inflammatory processes. In the present study, the in vivo antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the methanolic extract from L. lactescens have been investigated. Antinociceptive activity was evaluated through writhing, formalin, and tail flick tests, while the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated through paw oedema and air pouch tests in mice. A phytochemical analysis was performed. The extract produced significant inhibition on nociception induced by acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing, formalin, and tail flick tests, and on inflammation induced by oedema and air pouch tests. The previous administration of atropine and glibenclamide reduced the antinociceptive effect produced by the methanolic extract from L. lactescens on the tail flick test in 89% and 66%, respectively. The methanolic extract had no significant effect in the open field test. No intoxication symptoms were observed in the animals administered orally at increasing doses up to 2000 mg/kg. The methanolic extract from the stem bark of L. lactescens possesses antinociceptive properties on models of acute pain induced by chemical and thermal stimuli as well as in models of inflammation and further suggests that this anti-inflammatory activity might involve inhibition of the proinflammatory cytokines, and the antinociceptive activity might involve participation of the cholinergic system and adenosine triphosphate-dependent K+ channel.