A preliminary study to evaluate analgesic and behavioural activities of the homoeopathic drug, Anagallis arvensis in rats

Abstract

In homeopathy, Anagallis arvensis is used in the traetment of skin rashes, warts and urinary tract infections, but not for the treatment of diseases of central nervous system unlike its use in Indian medicine foa mania and other derangements of the nervous system. In the present preliminary study, the effect of different potencies (3x, 6x, 12x and 30C) of A. Arvensis administered at a daily dose of 0.5ml/rat/day had been examined and were tested for their analgesic (hot plate, ice plate and Randall-selitto assay) and behavioural (rota rod and open fiels assay) activities, 30 minutes after administration of drug on tenth,, twentyth and thirtyth day of the study. All the four different potencies (3x, 6x,12x and 30C) of A. arvensis had increased the latency time required to raise and to lick the hind paw for thermal sensation on hot plate test and for cold sensation on Ice plate test. They had also increased the quantum of threshold pressure to mechanically induced pain on Randall-selitto assay but depressed the motor coordination and locomotor activity. The analgesic and behavioural effects of these potencies on tenth day was maximum but subsided on twentyth day and thirtyth day of the study. The preliminary results suggest that A. arvensis may be screened for CNS depressive property on appropriate animal model in order to arrive at a meaningful conclusion.