Antinociceptive activity of some Scorzonera L. species

Aim: Scorzonera species are mainly used to relieve pain in Turkish traditional medicine. The roots of Scorzonera latifolia (Fisch. & Mey) DC., S. tomentosa L., S. suberosa C.Koch subsp. suberosa, and S. mollis M.Bieb. subsp. szowitzii collected from different regions of Anatolia, and yak: sakizi, which is prepared by drying the latex obtained from the roots of Scorzonera latifolia, were evaluated for their antinociceptive activities. Materials and methods: For antinociceptive evaluation, Scorzonera latifolia (Fisch. & Mey) DC., S. tomentosa L., S. suberosa C.Koch subsp. suberosa, S. mollis M.Bieb. subsp. szowitzii, and yak: sakizi were tested on mice, and acetic acid-induced writhing and tail-flick tests were used. Results: Extracts prepared from the roots of Scorzonera latifolia, S. tomentosa, S. suberosa subsp. suberosa, S. mollis subsp. szowitzii, and yak; sakizi showed significant inhibitory effects in an acetic acid-induced abdominal stretching test at a dose of 100 mg/kg. The extracts of S. latifolia and S. tomentosa produced higher inhibition in abdominal constriction numbers when compared to other extracts. However, a remarkable increase in tail-flick latency time was observed only with S. latifolia treatment at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg at all of the time points and at a dose of 100 mg/kg dose at 150 min. S. mollis, S. tomentosa, and yak: sakizi exhibited only moderate activity, while S. suberosa did not show any remarkable activity in the tail-flick test. Conclusion: The current study confirms the analgesic activity of S. latifolia in Turkish folk medicine. Furthermore, experimental results revealed that methanol-water extracts from the roots of Scorzonera latifolia had better antinociceptive activity compared to the other extracts and control groups.