Evaluation of Analgesic Activity for Ethanol Extract of Leaves of Pistacia Atlantica Grown in Libya

الملخص

Pistacia atlantica is a potential herb belonging to the family Anacardiaceae. It is a well-identified medicinal plant and is used in many medicines all over the world. Different types of chemical compounds are isolated from the plant body and mainly the roots, these chemicals form many bioactive substances. Fresh mature green leaves from female Pistacia atlantica were collected from Kikla -Libya in October 2022. The common name of the plant is Atlantic Pistacia and known in Libya as Batum. The leaves were washed with distilled water, shade-dried for 15 days and then ground to fine powder by a mechanical grinder then macerated with ethanol 96% for 7 days with daily stirring. The resultant extract of Pistacia atlantica was tested for its analgesic activity using a hot-plate method, concentrations of the ethanolic extract of Pistacia atlantica (25,50 and 100 mg) were used in three animal groups ( n=3 rats in each group), and the reaction time was recorded in three-time intervals (30, 60, 120 minutes) then compared to control and paracetamol (100mg/kg) treated groups, Findings from this study demonstrated that the three different doses of ethanol extract prolonged the reaction time in the hot plate method. Thus, the ability of the extract to inhibit these behaviours on the hot plate method indicates that it has a good analgesic activity in comparison with control and paracetamol. In the present study, the analgesic activity could be due to the presence of specific phenolic compounds known as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory molecules. In fact, in previous studies several biomolecules were identified in Pistacia atlantica leaves such as Flavonoids, tannins, and saponins. All those compounds are known for their great and potent anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activities. In conclusion, the ethanol extract for the leaves of the Pistacia atlantica displayed analgesic activity and supported the traditional use of this plant in pain relief. Further study is warranted to identify the active compounds present in this extract and to elucidate the mechanisms involved in its analgesic properties.