rosmarinic-acid and Pain

Comfrey has a centuries-old tradition as a medicinal plant. Today, multiple randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of comfrey preparations for the topical treatment of pain, inflammation and swelling of muscles and joints in degenerative arthritis, acute myalgia in the back, sprains, contusions and strains after sports injuries and accidents, also in children aged 3 or 4 and over. This paper provides information on clinical trials and non-interventional studies published on comfrey to date and further literature, substantiating the fact that topical comfrey preparations are a valuable therapy option for the treatment of painful muscle and joint complaints.

Topics: Allantoin; Analgesics; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Cinnamates; Comfrey; Depsides; Humans; Inflammation; Pain; Phytotherapy; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rosmarinic Acid; Wound Healing

Individuals with medically diagnosed knee osteoarthritis (OA) participated in a randomized, double-blind study to investigate the effects of a high-rosmarinic acid (rosA) spearmint tea. Sixty-two participants were randomized by sex and screening pain score to consume tea brewed from a high-rosA spearmint variety or a commercially available spearmint twice daily for 16 weeks. Pain, quality of life (QoL), and physical function at baseline and week 16 were assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Short-Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and stair climb test (SCT). Data from 46 participants (mean age=60.7; BMI=32.9 kg/m(2)) were analyzed. Pain score significantly decreased from week 0 to 16 for the high-rosA group but not for the control group and scores for stiffness and physical disability significantly decreased from week 0 to 16 for both groups. Increased QoL score on the bodily pain index in the SF-36 was observed at week 16 within the high-rosA group only, although no significant differences were observed between the groups. A nonsignificant improvement was observed in the 6MWT at week 16 in the high-rosA group only. There were no changes in the SCT for either group. Therefore, 16-week daily consumption of the high-rosA and commercial spearmint teas significantly improved stiffness and physical disability scores in adults with knee OA, but only the high-rosA tea significantly decreased pain. Consumption of high-rosA tea warrants further consideration as a potential complementary therapy to reduce pain in OA.. NCT01380015.

Topics: Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Cinnamates; Depsides; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Male; Mentha spicata; Middle Aged; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Pain; Pain Measurement; Phytotherapy; Quality of Life; Rosmarinic Acid; Tea

Diabetic neuropathic (DN) pain is one of the diabetes complications. Rosmarinic acid (RA), a natural phenol antioxidant, shows some biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-diabetic effects.. We investigated the efficacy of RA administration (10 and 30 mg/kg) on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced neuropathy in rats.. The animals received saline or RA (10 and 30 mg/kg, p.o.; once daily) for 8 weeks. DN was evaluated by the tail flick (TF) method, formalin test, and tactile allodynia. At the end, all rats were weighed and underwent plasma glucose measurement.. There was an increase in licking time during both formalin test phases in diabetic animals (138.5 ± 10.7 and 448.7 ± 2.6 s) that was decreased by RA10 mg/kg (103.5 ± 7.5 and 284.4 ± 19 s) and RA 30 mg/kg (81.8 ± 11 and 192.7 ± 14 s). RA 30 mg/kg caused anti-nociception during the early phase in treated controls (52.1 ± 6 s) than untreated controls (99.4 ± 5.9 s). The TF latency in diabetics (2.9 ± 0.1 s) was increased in RA10 and 30 mg/kg treated diabetics (5.3 ± 0.4 and 6 ± 0.86 s). The paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) of the diabetics (3.6 ± 0.7 g) was increased after RA 10 and 30 mg/kg (13.8 ± 0.3 and 14 ± 0.4 g) treatment. RA did not induce a significant change in body weight and plasma glucose of rats.. RA showed efficacy in amelioration of some aspects of DN. Therefore, RA makes a good candidate for DN treatment in clinical studies.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Blood Glucose; Cinnamates; Depsides; Diabetic Neuropathies; Disease Models, Animal; Male; Pain; Pain Measurement; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rosmarinic Acid; Treatment Outcome

The present study examined the antinociceptive effect of the ethanolic extract from Melissa officinalis L. and of the rosmarinic acid in chemical behavioral models of nociception and investigates some of the mechanisms underlying this effect. The extract (3-1000 mg/kg), given orally (p.o.) 1 h prior to testing, produced dose-dependent inhibition of acetic acid-induced visceral pain, with ID50 value of 241.9 mg/kg. In the formalin test, the extract (30-1000 mg/kg, p.o.) also caused significant inhibition of both, the early (neurogenic pain) and the late (inflammatory pain), phases of formalin-induced licking. The extract (10-1000 mg/kg, p.o.) also caused significant and dose-dependent inhibition of glutamate-induced pain, with ID50 value of 198.5 mg/kg. Furthermore, the rosmarinic acid (0.3-3 mg/kg), given p.o. 1 h prior, produced dose-related inhibition of glutamate-induced pain, with ID50 value of 2.64 mg/kg. The antinociception caused by the extract (100 mg/kg, p.o.) in the glutamate test was significantly attenuated by intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment of mice with atropine (1 mg/kg), mecamylamine (2 mg/kg) or l-arginine (40 mg/kg). In contrast, the extract (100 mg/kg, p.o.) antinociception was not affected by i.p. treatment with naloxone (1 mg/kg) or D-arginine (40 mg/kg). It was also not associated with non-specific effects, such as muscle relaxation or sedation. Collectively, the present results suggest that the extract produced dose-related antinociception in several models of chemical pain through mechanisms that involved cholinergic systems (i.e. through muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors) and the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway. In addition, the rosmarinic acid contained in this plant appears to contribute for the antinociceptive property of the extract. Moreover, the antinociceptive action demonstrated in the present study supports, at least partly, the ethnomedical uses of this plant.

Topics: Acetic Acid; Analgesics; Animals; Arginine; Atropine; Cinnamates; Depsides; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Formaldehyde; Glutamic Acid; Male; Mecamylamine; Melissa; Mice; Motor Activity; Naloxone; Nitric Oxide; Pain; Pain Threshold; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plant Leaves; Receptors, Muscarinic; Receptors, Nicotinic; Rosmarinic Acid