Antioxidant and antinociceptive effects of hydroalcoholic root extract of Asparagus officinalis L.

Asparagus officinalis L. is a medicinal plant, which contains various natural bioactive phytochemicals with potential different pharmacological activities. The present study was designed to investigate the antioxidant and antinociceptive activities of the hydroalcoholic extract obtained from asparagus roots.

The plant material was extracted using ethanol 70% and preliminary phytochemical analyses were carried out. The in vitro antioxidant effects of the plant extract were evaluated using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and total reducing ability compared to the butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as a standard control. The antinociceptive effects were also assessed using formalin and tail-flick test in male Wistar rats.

The plant extract was relatively rich in flavonoids. The IC50 value for DPPH scavenging activity of the extract (1117.65±14.26 μg/ml) was significantly higher than that of BHT (64.35±4.09 μg/ml). The plant extract exerted a significantly lower total reducing ability compared to that of BHT. The extract exhibited a significant antinociceptive effect at the early stage of formalin test in the dose of 500mg/kg intraperitoneally. The results of tail-flick test also demonstrated antinociceptive effects compared to control in a dose-dependent manner. However, these antinociceptive activities were not comparable with morphine as a reference agent.

A. officinalis roots extract demonstrated considerable antioxidant and antinociceptive activities and it might be attributed to its flavonoids content.