Antinociceptive Activity of the Essential Oil of Zingiber zerumbet

 

 Buy Article Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

In the present study, the rhizome essential oil from Zingiber zerumbet (Zingiberaceae) was evaluated for antinociceptive activity using chemical and thermal models of nociception, namely, the acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test, the hot-plate test and the formalin-induced paw licking test. It was demonstrated that intraperitoneal administration of the essential oil of Z. zerumbet (EOZZ) at the doses of 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg produced significant dose-dependent inhibition of acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing, comparable to that of obtained with acetylsalicylic acid (100 mg/kg). At the same doses, the EOZZ produced significant dose-dependent increases in the latency time in the hot-plate test with respect to controls, and in the formalin-induced paw licking test, the EOZZ also significantly reduced the painful stimulus in both neurogenic and inflammatory phase of the test. In addition, the antinociceptive effect of the EOZZ in the formalin-induced paw licking test as well as hot-plate test was reversed by the nonselective opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone suggesting that the opioid system was involved in its analgesic mechanism of action. On the basis of these data, we concluded that the EOZZ possessed both central and peripheral antinociceptive activities which justifying its popular folkloric use to relieve some pain conditions.

References

• 1 Larsen K, Ibrahim H, Khaw S H, Saw L G. Gingers of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Kota Kinabalu.  Nat Hist Publ (Borneo). 1999;  135-143
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 2 Burkill I H. In: A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula, Vol 1–2. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative 1966: 113-114
  Google Scholar
• 3 Habsah M, Amran M, Mackeen M M, Lajis N H, Kikuzaki H, Nakatani N, Rahman A A, Ghafar, Ali A M. Screening of Zingiberaceae extracts for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2000;  72 403-410
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 4 Faizah S, Somchit M N, Shukriyah M H. Zingiber zerumbet (lempoyang): a potential anti-inflammatory agent. Malaysia; Proceedings of The Regional Symposium on Environment and Natural Resources 2002: 516-520
  Google Scholar
• 5 Ruslay S, Abas F, Shaari K, Zainal Z, Maulidiani, Sirat H, Israf D A, Lajis N H. Characterization of the components present in the active fractions of health gingers (Curcuma xanthorrhiza and Zingiber zerumbet) by HPLC-DAD-ESIMS.  Food Chem. 2007;  104 1183-1191
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 6 Koster R, Anderson M, Debeer E J. Acetic acid for analgesic screening.  Fed Proc. 1959;  18 412-414
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 7 Dubuisson D, Dennis S G. The formalin test: a quantitative study of the analgesic effects of morphine, meperidine, and brain stem stimulation in rats and cats.  Pain. 1977;  4 161-174
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 8 Eddy N B, Leimbach D. Synthetic analgesics. II. Dithienylbutenyl and dithienylbutylamines.  J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1953;  107 385-393
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 9 Sulaiman M R, Zakaria Z A, Daud I A, Ng F N, Ng Y C, Hidayat M T. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the aqueous extract of Kaempferia galanga leaves in animal models.  J Nat Med. 2008;  62 221-227
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 10 Lorke D. A new approach to acute toxicity testing.  Arch Toxicol. 1983;  54 275-287
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 11 Rosland J H, Hunskaar S, Hole K. Diazepam attenuates morphine antinociception test-dependently in mice.  Pharmacol Toxicol. 1990;  66 382-386
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 12 Bentley G A, Newton S H, Starr J. Evidence for an action of morphine and the enkephalins on sensory nerve endings in the mouse peritoneum.  Brit J Pharmacol. 1981;  73 325-332
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 13 Derardt R, Jougney S, Delevalcee F, Falhout M. Release of prostaglandins E and F in an algogenic reaction and its inhibition.  Eur J Pharmacol. 1980;  51 17-24
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 14 Dhara A K, Suba V, Sen T, Pal S, Nag Chaudhuri A K. Preliminary studies on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of the methanolic fraction of the root extract of Tragia involucrate.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2000;  72 265-268
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 15 Vane J R, Botting R M. The mechanism of action of aspirin.  Thromb Res. 2003;  110 255-258
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 16 Tjolsen A, Berge O G, Hunskaar S, Rosland J H, Hole K. The formalin test: an evaluation of the method.  Pain. 1992;  51 5-17
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 17 Shibata M, Ohkubo T, Takahashi H, Inoki R. Modified formalin test: characteristic biphasic pain response.  Pain. 1989;  38 347-352
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 18 Chane-Ming J, Vera R, Chalchat J C. Chemical composition of the essential oil from rhizomes, leaves and flowers of Zingiber zerumbet Smith from Reunion Island.  J Essent Oil Res. 2003;  15 202-205
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 19 Srivastava A K, Srivastava S K, Shah N C. Essential oil composition of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Sm. from India.  J Essent Oil Res. 2000;  12 595-597
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 20 Murakami A, Miyamoto M, Ohigashi H. Zerumbone, an anti-inflammatory phytochemical, induces expression of proinflammatory cytokine genes in human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines.  BioFactors. 2004;  21 95-101
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 21 Murakami A, Takahashi D, Koshimizu K, Ohigashi H. Synergistic suppression of superoxide and nitric oxide generation from inflammatory cells by combined food factors.  Mutat Res Fund Mol M. 2003;  523–524 151-161
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 22 Chien T Y, Chen L G, Lee C J, Lee F Y, Wang C C. Anti-inflammatory constituents of Zingiber zerumbet.  Food Chem. 2008;  110 584-589
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 23 Chaung H C, Ho C T, Huang T C. Anti-hypersensitive and anti-inflammatory activities of water extract of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith.  Food Agric Immunol. 2008;  19 117-129
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 24 Tewtrakul S, Subhadhirasakul S. Anti-allergic activity of some selected plants in the Zingiberaceae family.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2007;  09 535-538
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 25 Sulaiman M R, Perimal E K, Zakaria Z A, Mokhtar F, Akhtar M N, Lajis N H, Israf D A. Preliminary analysis of the antinociceptive activity of zerumbone.  Fitoterapia. 2009;  80 230-232
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 26 Lorenzetti B B, Souza G E, Sarti S J, Santos-Filho D, Ferreira S H. Myrcene mimics the peripheral analgesic activity of lemongrass tea.  J Ethnopharmacol. 1991;  34 43-48
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 27 Peana A T, Rubattu P, Piga G G, Fumagalli S, Boatto G, Pippia P, De Montis M G. Involvement of adenosine A1 and A2A receptors in (−)linalool-induced antinociception.  Life Sci. 2006;  78 2471-2474
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 28 Do Amaral J F, Silva M I G, Neto M R D A, Neto P F T, Moura B A, De Melo C T V, De Araújo F L O, De Sousa D P, De Vasconcelos P F, De Vasconcelos S M M, De Sousa F C F. Antinociceptive effect of the monoterpene R-(+)-limonene in mice.  Biol Pharm Bull. 2007;  30 1217-1220
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 29 Batista P A, Werner M F D E P, Oliveira E C, Pereira P, Da Silva Brum L F, Soares dos Aantos A R Burgos l. Evidence for the involvement of ionotropic glutamatergic receptors on the antinociceptive effect of (−)-linalool in mice.  Neurosci Lett. 2008;  440 299-303
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 30 Liapi C, Anifantis C, Chinou I, Kourounakis A P, Theodosopoulos S, Galanopoulou P. Antinociceptive properties of 1,8-cineole and beta-pinene, from the essential oil of Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves, in rodents.  Planta Med. 2007;  74 1247-1254
  Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar

Prof. Dr. Mohd Roslan Sulaiman

Department of Biomedical Science
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
University Putra Malaysia

43400 Serdang

Selangor

Malaysia

Phone: + 60 3 89 47 26 03

Fax: + 60 3 89 47 25 85

Email: mrs@medic.upm.edu.my