Antinociceptive profile of the ethanolic extract of andrographis paniculata in mice

The present study was conducted to evaluate the analgesic activity of ethanolic extract of Andrographis paniculata (AP) in mice. The analgesic investigations were carried out using the acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing and the hot-plate tests. It was demonstrated that intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of the extract at a dose of 30, 100, 300, 500 mg/kg, produced significant inhibition of abdominal constriction induced with 0.6% (v/v) acetic acid in dosedependent manner. It also demonstrated that the extract produced significant dose-dependent increase in the time of latency to a discomfort reaction in the hot-plate model. In addition, the analgesic effect of the ethanolic extract of AP was significantly reversed by a non-specific opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone. These results indicate that AP has an analgesic effect that was mediated through opioid receptors.