Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of galangin: a potential pathway to inhibit transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 receptor activation

Background: Galangin, commonly employed in traditional Chinese medicine for its diverse medicinal properties, exhibits potential in treating inflammatory pain. Nevertheless, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Methods: Mice were randomly divided into 4 groups for 7 days: a normal control group, a galangin-treated (25 and 50 mg/kg), and a positive control celecoxib (20 mg/kg). Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated using a hot plate test, acetic acid-induced writhing test, acetic acid-induced vascular permeability test, formalininduced paw licking test, and carrageenan-induced paw swelling test. The interplay between galangin, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), NF-KB, COX-2, and TNF-alpha proteins was evaluated via molecular docking. COX2, PGE2, IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels in serum were measured using ELISA after capsaicin administration (200 nmol/L). TRPV1 expression in the dorsal root ganglion was analyzed by Western blot. The quantities of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were assessed using qPCR. triggered foot inflammation, and capillary permeability in mice. It exhibited favorable affinity towards TRPV1, NFKB, COX-2, and TNF-alpha, resulting in decreased levels of COX-2, PGE2, IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in serum following capsaicin stimulation. Galangin effectively suppressed the upregulation of TRPV1 protein and associated receptor neuropeptides CGRP and SP mRNA, while concurrently inhibiting the expression of NF-KB, TNF-alpha, COX-2, and PGE2 Conclusions: Galangin exerts its anti-inflammatory pain effects by inhibiting TRPV1 activation and regulating COX-2, NF-KB/TNF-alpha expression, providing evidence for the use of galangin in the management of inflammatory pain.