Asafetida is a potentially powerful anti-inflammatory agent

Researchers from Shahid Sadoghi University of Medical Sciences in Iran found that asafetida, which is an oleo gum resin derived from plants under the Ferula genus, has potent anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties. These findings, which were published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, were determined through in vivo experiments in mice.

• People who suffer from ailments, wounds, and trauma often suffer from pain and inflammation so it is also important to address these two conditions during treatment.
• Plants have shown great potential in treating pain and inflammation since they’re not just effective, they’re also safer than synthetic medications.
• Ferula is a genus of plants that includes more than 130 species that grow across central Asia and the Mediterranean region. These plants produce an oleo gum resin called asafetida that is acquired through an incision on the stem or root.
• Asafetida is commonly used in Iranian folk medicine as a remedy for muscle spasms, helminth infections, flatulence, and pain. Recent studies have also revealed that this plant product is effective against free radicals, convulsions, cancer, obesity, diabetes, Leishmania, and dementia.
• The medicinal properties of asafetida can be attributed to the presence of glucuronic acid, galactose, arabinose, and rhamnose in its gum fraction and the umbelliferone, ferulic acid, and terpenoids in its resin.
• In this study, the researchers administered asafetida in male albino mice and subjected them to the hot-plate test and acetic acid-induced writhing test to determine antinociceptive activity. Meanwhile, anti-inflammatory activity was determined through carrageenin-induced edema.
• The team also looked at the ability of asafetida to inhibit lipoxygenase activity and to neutralize free radicals.

The results of the study showed that asafetida has potent anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities. Mechanisms that are possibly involved in inducing these effects are the suppression of peripheral inflammatory processes and the modulation of the pain pathways in the central nervous system.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

For more articles about natural remedies for pain and inflammation, visit NaturalHealth.news.

Journal Reference:

Bagheri SM, Hedesh ST, Mirjalili A, Dashti-R MH. EVALUATION OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND SOME POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ANTINOCICEPTIVE EFFECT OF FERULA ASSA FOETIDA OLEO GUM RESIN. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. 30 September 2015;21(4):271–276. DOI: 10.1177/2156587215605903