The analgesic effect of alcoholic extract of Carum copticum (L.) C. B. Clarke on choronic pain in mice

One of the important objectives of biological investigations is to find substances which are involved in relieving pain. In this regard, application of medicinal herb are very useful. Carum copticum (L.) C. B. Clarke from Umbelliferae family has been introduced as an analgesic agent in Iranian traditional literature and it is widely used to relieve neuropathic pain and headache. In the present study we conducted to investigate the analgesic effect of Carum copticum fruit on formalin induced pain as compared with morphine. In this study formalin test was used as a standard pain inducing test and the analgesic effect of intra peritoneal injection of 400mg/kg of Carum copticum extract were compared with different concentrations of morphine (1&2mg/kg). The findings show that Carum copticum has no effect on early response of pain but its effect on late phase of formalin test in chronic response of pain is significant (P=0.01). This effect was the same as 1mg/kg of morphine sulfate. According to our finding Carum copticum extract significantly reduced pain sensation in inflammatory phase of formalin test. This may be due to its essential oil which has been reported to have an analgesic and inflammatory effect.