Neurodegenerative Diseases: Current Research

Effect of Arrabidaea Chica Verlot on Posttraumatic Neuropathic Pain in Rats

Fernando César Vilhena Moreira Lima¹*, Abner de Oliveira Freire², Alberto Jorge Oliveira Lopes³, Cleydlenne Costa
Vasconcelos⁴, Silvia Tereza De Jesus Rodrigues Moreira Lima⁵, Marcus Vinícius Viégas Lima⁶ and Maria do Socorro de
Sousa Cartágenes⁷

¹Faculdade Santa Terezinha-CEST, São Luís 65045-180, Brazil
²Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, Brazil
³Federal University of Maranhão, Coordination of Natural Sciences, Campus Bacabal, São Luís 65080-80, Brazil
⁴Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, Brazil
⁵Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís

⁶5080-805, Brazil 6Marcus Vinícius Viégas Lima; Faculdade Santa Terezinha-CEST, São Luís 65045-180, Brazil
⁷Maria do Socorro de Sousa Cartágenes; Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, Brazil

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants is a part of human evolution and plays an important role in the treatment of numerous diseases. Neuropathic pain is caused by an injury or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, which affects about 8% of the world population, and its management is considered a great challenge. In the search for new therapies, Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl) Verlot, (A. chica), popularly known as carajirú and pariri, whose anti-inflammatory properties are scientifically proven and without evidence of neuropathic pain, appears in this scenario. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of fractions of the ethanolic extract of Arrabidaea chica in an experimental model of neuropathic pain induced by compression of the main trunk of the ciatic nerve in Wistar rats. After obtaining the extract by maceration with ethanol, fractionation was carried out to obtain fractions: hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and butanol. In vivo studies were performed using the von Frey, Rotarod and Weight bearing tests. The animals were treated for 15 days with the fractions of Arrabidaea chica at the dose 1 mg/kg/day. Gabapentin (1 mg/kg v.o) was used as a positive control. The pharmacological study significantly attenuated the behavioral manifestations of neuropathic pain in the animals treated with the fractions of the ethanolic extract of Arrabidaea the dose 1 mg/Kg v.o, compared to the saline group (0.1 ml/kg), confirming the antinociceptive action and antioxidants of the plant. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the fractions of Arrabidaea chica present therapeutic potential for the treatment of neuropathic pain and/or adjuvant in the conventional treatment of the same.

Keywords:

Medicinal plants; Neuropathic pain; Action antinociceptive and antioxidant; Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl.) Verlot