Abstract

Asafetida is well known for its medicinal and therapeutic values in Iranian folk medicine. This study was conducted to investigate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of asafetida. In hot plate test, asafetida exhibited a significant antinociceptive effect at all administered doses and the most effective dose was 10 mg/kg. The highest maximum potent effect was observed 15 minutes after asafetida administration. The antinociceptive effect of asafetida was not reversed by administration of any antagonist used in this study but asafetida showed a remarkable antioxidant and also inhibitory action against lipoxygenase activity. Paw weight was significantly reduced only in treated animals with 2.5 mg/kg asafetida. Results clearly indicate that the asafetida could be a potential source of anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. These effects may be due to its effective constituents such as monoterpenes, flavonoids and phenolic components that have antioxidant properties and inhibit lipoxygenase activity. © 2015, © The Author(s) 2015.