Publication:

Screening of a novel-substituted furan compound for analgesic activity in mice

Background Pain is an unpleasant sensation and is the most primitive of all senses. It is a major symptom in many medical conditions and can significantly interfere with a person's quality of life and general functioning. Analgesics like opioids and NSAIDS are used to treat pain but due to their side effects on long term use it is necessary to develop a compound with reduced side effects. Hence the present study was focused on screening of novel compound of novel compound 2-(4-nitrophenylimino)-N-cyclohexyl-4,5 diphenylfuran-3- carboxamide (AMSM-2(a-k) for analgesic activity in mice.

Methods The analgesic activity of test compound AMSM-2(a-k) at different doses (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) was evaluated by using Eddy’s hot plate for determining central analgesic activity using morphine (5 mg/kg) as standard drug, acetic acid induced writhing test for peripheral analgesic activity and formalin induced writhing test to evaluate both central and peripheral analgesic activity using aspirin as standard drug (300 mg/kg). The percentages of inhibition of writhing’s were calculated for acetic acid and formalin induced pain model. The statistical analysis was done using one way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test. All values with P <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results In hot plate method, the percentage increase in the latency of licking for test compound AMSM-2(a-k) at 20 mg/kg was significantly comparable to standard drug. Morphine (10 mg/kg) and AMSM-2(a-k) (20 mg/kg) gave the peak effect at 90 minutes. In acetic acid induced writhing method the percentage inhibition for AMSM-2(a-k) (20 mg/kg) was 73.93% for up to 20 min and for aspirin was 57.12%. In formalin induced paw licking method, the percentage inhibition in licking response in the early phase for AMSM-2(a-k) with 20 mg/kg was 63.23% which was more significant than the standard drug aspirin (100 mg/kg) which gave a percentage inhibition of 42.17%. In the late phase the percentage inhibition in licking response for AMSM-2(a-k) (20 mg/kg) was 74.33% and aspirin (100 mg/kg) gave a percentage inhibition of 60.82%.

Conclusions The test drug AMSM-2(a-k) at a dose of 20 mg/kg showed promising results in hot plate method, equally comparable to the standard drug morphine and in acetic acid induced writhing test and formalin induced paw licking (early and late phase) methods they are more significant than the standard drug aspirin. This suggests AMSM-2(a-k) had potential central and peripheral analgesic activity.