Potential analgesic,anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of hydroalcoholic extract of Areca catechu L. nut

The hydroalcoholic extract of Areca catechu L. (ANE) nut was screened for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant potential. Three doses of ANE (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg orally) were tested for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. Evaluation of analgesic activity of ANE was performed using hot plate and formalin test in mice. ANE showed maximum increase in hot plate reaction time (56.27%, p < 0.01), while reduced the duration of licking/biting behaviors in first (39.45%, p < 0.05) and second (92.71%, p < 0.01) phases of the formalin test indicating significant analgesic activity. ANE reduced the paw edema considerably (86.79% inhibition after 24 h, p < 0.01) in dose-dependent manner compared to carrageenan-induced rat. In addition, in vitro antioxidant activity of ANE was investigated by total phenolic content (TPC) and hydrogen peroxide assay. The IC₅₀ observed in hydrogen peroxide assay was 83.14 μg/ml and TPC 120.56 ± 21.09 mg QE/g. Altogether, these results suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract of Areca catechu could be considered as a potential analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent.