Abstract:
This work evaluated the analgesic property of ethanolic extract of Jatropha curcas in arthritic/skeletal pain
models. Acute skeletal hyperalgesia was induced in knee joints of rats with 3% carrageenan-kaolin mixture. Twelve
hours later, the rats were grouped and treated orally with 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg Jatropha curcas or morphine (1, 3 and
10 mg/kg). Pain thresholds were measured by knee compression in the ipsilateral limb. In a separate experiment to
determine the effect of ethanolic root extract of Jatropha curcas (30-300 mg/kg, p.o.) and morphine (1-3 mg/kg, p.o.) on
chronic skeletal hyperalgesia, the extracts and morphine treatments were administered 2 weeks after the induction of the
pain with 3% carrageenan-kaolin mixture. The effects of Jatropha curcas on chronic skeletal hyperalgesia in both the
ipsilateral and contralateral paws was assessed in the Randall-Selitto test.
Jatropha curcas (P<0.05) and morphine (P<0.05) significantly reduced acute knee hyperalgesia in the
ipsilateral limb. Chronic skeletal hyperalgesia was dose-dependently inhibited by the extract of J. curcas and the
standard drug morphine in the ipsilateral and contralateral paws.Ethanolic root extract of Jatropha curcas relieves
skeletal pain in rats.
