Phytochemical Identification and Analgesic Potential of the Seed Extract of Irvingia gabonensis

Different parts of Irvingia gabonensis are used ethno-medicinally in some West Africa culture in the treatment of pain. The stem bark has been reported in the literature to possess analgesic property. In order to evaluate the analgesic potential of the seed extract and the phytochemicals that may be responsible for this effect. This study was aimed at determining the phytochemical contents and the analgesic effect of I. gabonensis. The seed was screened for phytochemicals using standard procedures and GC-MS analysis. It central and peripheral analgesic potentials were evaluated at doses of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg using acetic acid induced abdominal writhing and hot plate methods in Swiss albino mice. Acetylsalicylic acid (100 mg/kg), morphine hydrochloride (2 mg/kg) and pentazocine (15 mg/kg) were used as the standard drugs. ANOVA was used to analyze data from the results and level of significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloid, flavonoid, cardiac glycoside, triterpenoid and saponin. GC-MS analysis revealed thirty compounds mostly fatty acids. At 200 mg/kg of the methanolic extract, there was a dose dependent decrease in writhing response which also compared well with acetylsalicylic acid. From the results, Irvingia gabonensis seed contains compounds that could be responsible for the precieved analgesic activity.