Study the antinociceptive effect of the Zingiber officinale ethanolic extract and Vitamin C in rats

Abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the antinociceptive activity of seperate and
combined treatments of ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale rhizomes and vitamin C on
visceral nociception induced by intraperitoneal injection of 2% acetic acid which produced
writhing in rats. The preliminary chemical tests were performed on the extract and revealed the
presence of flavanoids, alkaloids and tannins. Visceral nociceptive responses including the
latency time to beginning of the first writhe, number of writhes per hour and the inhibition
percentage of writhing. Seperate i. p. injection of ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale at dose of
25 and 50 mg/kg BW caused significant (P<0.01) increase in latency time and significant
(P<0.01) reduction in writhing number. Seperated i. p. injection of vitamin C at dose of 10
mg/kg BW caused significant (P<0.05) reduction in writhing number, whereas, i. p injection of
vitamin C at dose of 15 mg/kg BW produced significant prolongation in latency time and
reduction in writhing number (P<0.01). Combined treatment with ethanol extract of
Zingiber officinale at dose of 25 mg/kg BW and vitamin C at dose of 10 mg/kg BW. i.p.
produced significant suppression (P<0.01) in pain responses as compared with the effect of the
same doses when used each seperately. It is concluded that both ethanol extract of Zingiber
officinale rhizomes and vitamin C are able to suppress visceral pain, and vitamin C potentiates
the antinociceptive effect of the ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale rhizomes