Yellow myrobalan reduces inflammation and pain sensation

A team of researchers from Pakistan found scientific evidence that yellow myrobalan (Terminalia citrina) has potential use as a natural remedy against pain, inflammation, and fever. This finding, which was published in the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, was based on the results of in vivo experiments conducted in mice.

• Healthcare professionals often prescribe patients suffering from pain, inflammation, and fever with conventional treatments like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids. Unfortunately, these medications are associated with side effects such as tolerance, addiction, and health problems involving the hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems.
• Plants and herbs are commonly used as traditional remedies for various health problems. However, the majority of these traditional remedies have not been scientifically proven to be effective.
• In this study, the researchers looked at the therapeutic effects of yellow myrobalan, a commonly used plant in a traditional system of medicine in South Asia called Hikmat.
• To determine the anti-inflammatory activity of the plant, the team used the carrageenan-induced paw edema method wherein they observed changes in the inflamed paw’s size after treatment with either the positive control, which was the NSAID indomethacin, or with different doses of yellow myrobalan extracts.
• Meanwhile, the painkilling property of the plant was determined through the acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice. In this experiment, the number of writhes that occurred within 20 minutes was observed and correlated with how much pain the mice experienced.
• Lastly, the researchers determined potential use against fever induced by a brewer’s yeast suspension by observing changes in temperature at different time points after receiving the yellow myrobalan treatment.

Overall, the results of the study prove that yellow myrobalan significantly reduces pain, inflammation, and fever and with further studies, it can be used as an alternative remedy for harmful medications like NSAIDs and opioids.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

For more articles about natural remedies for pain, visit NaturalMedicine.news.

Journal Reference:

Saleem A, Javeed A, Ashraf M, Akhtar MF, Akhtar B, Sharif A, Akhtar K, Raza M, Hamid I, Peerzada S, Ahmad S, Atta S. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANTI-NOCICEPTIVE AND ANTIPYRETIC POTENTIAL OF TERMINALIA CITRINA FRUIT EXTRACTS. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines. 1 October 2017;14(5). DOI: 10.21010/ajtcam.v14i5.4