PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANALGESIC ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS FRACTION OF SARCOCEPHALUS LATIFOLUS ON ALBINO RATS

ABSTRACT Pain can be defined as a somatic sensation of acute discomfort, a symptom of physical hurt or disorder, or even emotional distress. Inflammation on the other hand refers to the body‘s ability to fight against things that harms it such as infections, injury and toxins. The use of medicinal plants for pain killers was dated from the advent of ethno pharmacology. It is a procedure by which larger or greater of population get to access treatment for sickness, infection and other health related problems. This research therefore focuses on ascertaining the analgesic potentials of the plant Sarcocephaluslatifolius. The roots of Sarcocephaluslatifolius was obtained from MakyangeraSalka Town Magama Local Government, Nasko Niger State. Nigeria. The sample was washed with clean tap water and dried under room temperature before being pulverized into powdered form. The extract was subjected to phytochemical screening using laboratory standard method. The result of the phytochemical screening of the methanol root extract of S. latifolius revealed the presence of glycocides, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phenols and while flavonoids and steroids were not detected. Similarly, Fifteen (15) albino rats divided into five (5) group of three (3) each were used to assess the analgesic activity of S. latifolius. From the result obtained, the extract showed a dose dependent analgesic activity when compared to the normal control group.