Evaluation of Ficus carica Linn Fruit Extracts on Formalin Induced Pain in the Male Rat Paw

Background: One of the most significant symptoms in many acute and chronic diseases is pain. While many researches reveal side effects of many synthetic analgesic drugs, which are commonly used, new surveys are searching for new alternative analgesic drugs (especially by use of medicinal plants) with few side effects. Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the analogous function of Ficus carica L. (one of the important medicinal plants in Persian medicine) as an anti-nociceptive in allopathic medicine. Methods: Subcutaneous injection of formalin in rat paw was performed to establish the pain. Formalin test was applied to assess the severity of pain every 15 seconds for one hour. In two parts of this study, two different types of Ficus extract were used in intraperitoneal injections; the aqueous boiled Ficus extract (500, 1000, 2000 mg/kg) in comparison with distilled water (DW) and the petroleum ether extract (500, 1000 mg/kg) in comparison with DMSO. Results: The aqueous boiled Ficus extract showed no significant difference between control (DW) group and groups that had received extracts (P > 0.05). While a significant difference between the petroleum ether extract (1000 mg/kg) and the DMSO group in the last five minutes of the study (P < 0.05) was recorded. Anti-inflammatory examination of aqueous and ethanolic extract of Ficus fruit showed no anti-inflammatory effect; however, the petroleum ether extract displayed a dose-dependent (1000 mg/kg) anti-inflammatory effect even in comparison with sodium salicylate. Conclusions: According to the achieved results, it was concluded that there are no anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of Ficus carica fruit aqueous extract on the formalin test in the male rat paw in doses mentioned above. However, there is a delayed anti-nociceptive effect dose-dependently and a dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effect of petroleum ether extract.