Assessment of Analgesic Activity of Red and White Lotus Seeds (Nelumbo nucifera) in Albino Rats

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is one of the plants that have been used for its medicinal properties since ancient times. Almost all parts of the plants are used for the treatment of conditions associated with health abnormalities. In order to prove the analgesic effect of lotus seeds scientifically, a study was conducted in albino rats using the chronic pain model (experimental neuropathy). In this experiment, forty eight adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used. All the rats were subjected to surgery under anasthesia as per the standard neuropathy model protocols. After the surgery the rats were divided into six groups of eight each and group I was taken as control, group II was treated with the standard drug diclofenac potassium @ 3 mg/kg on the last day of experiment. The methanolic extract of lotus seeds of red and white varieties @ 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg were fed to group III, IV, V and VI respectively, for 7 days. After the dosage periods, the number of foot withdrawal reflex of each group was calculated using acetone induced cold stimulus and the responses analyzed statistically to findout the analgesic activity. It was revealed that the white lotus seed higher dose group (600 mg/kg.b.wt) exhibited significant analgesic activity than other lotus seed treated groups.