PHYTOCHEMICAL & PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF POLYHERBAL FORMULATION FOR ANALGESIC ACTIVITY

In human society pain is the primary and fundamental difficulties connected with various illnesses. Despite the availability of adequate medications, synthetic analgesic agents have various side effects. Screening medicinal plants with claimed analgesic effects is one of the study topics that may lead to the discovery of novel molecules with greater safety and efficacy. Thus this study aims at deciphering the synergistic analgesic activity of Calotropis procera , Ricinus communis & Curcuma longa. Qualitative & quantitative estimation of phytochemicals were performed & polyherbal formulation was made by standard protocol. The In vivo analgesic effect of Polyherbal formulation was checked by Tail flick test  and hot plate test albino rats. Results revealed that % yield for Calotropis procera, Ricinus communis and Curcuma longa as 9.44, 17.48 and 17.13 % respectively. All the three plant were found to be laden with phytochemical that are responsible for analgesic activity. Total phenol content of Calotropis procera, Ricinus communis and Curcuma longa   was found to be 0.863, 0.525 and 0.752 mg/ 100 mg respectively. Total flavonoids content of Calotropis procera, Ricinus communis and Curcuma longa was found to be 0.571, 0.325 and 0.457mg/ 100 mg respectively. The pH of polyherbal churna was found to be 7.5 while moisture content was observed to be 1.15%.  In the tail flick test, the polyherbal formulation exhibited a dose-dependent increase in basal reaction time, indicative of potential analgesic activity. Similarly, in the hot plate test, the formulation demonstrated an increase in latency time and percentage protection, reinforcing its analgesic potential. The observed analgesic effects of the polyherbal formulation, as evidenced by delayed pain responses, suggest its potential as a natural source of analgesic agents. However, its efficacy, safety profile, and mechanism of action warrant further investigation. This study contributes to the understanding of natural remedies for pain management and underscores the significance of plant-derived compounds in drug discovery and development.

Keywords: Analgesic, Pain, Medicinal plants, herbal medicines, Calotropis procera, Ricinus communis and Curcuma longa, Tail flick test, Polyherbal formulation (PHF)