Physic Nut Gives Similar Pain Relief As Aspirin.

Researchers have found a natural
strong painkiller from an extract of the
poisonous shrub Jatropha curcas whose
mode of action is different from
conventional pain relieving medicines such
as morphine and other pharmaceuticals.
Jatropha curcas, also known as Barbados
nut, physic nut, purging nut or Lapalapa in
Yoruba, is a semi-evergreen shrub native to
Central America and Mexico, and is
cultivated in subtropical and tropical areas
of the world. The plant’s fruit is combined
with the stem bark of Cochlospermum
planchonii (Gbehutu or Feru in Yoruba) in
Nigerian medicine for treating diabetes
mellitus and is also used traditionally as a
painkiller. The plant’s seeds have been used
for making soap, candles, detergents,
lubricants and dyes and the seed oil is used
in biodiesel. Its pain-relieving qualities are
in sharp contrast to these other uses.
The researchers, Omeh Yusuf and Ezeja
Maxwell of the Micheal Okpara University of
Agriculture in Umudike, Nigeria, extracted
what they believed to be the physiologically
active components of the leaves of physic
nut using methanol as solvent.
They compared the effects of this extract at
100, 200 and 400 milligrams per kg (mg/kg)
of body mass, against 400 mg/kg of
aspirin, a common painkiller, in standard
laboratory animal tests for assessing the
strength of painkillers. They found that 100
mg/kg was an inadequate dose; however,
200 and 400 mg/kg doses produced
analgesia (relief from pain) comparable to
aspirin, affirming the use of the plant for
pain relief.
The team reporting in the International
Journal of Biomedical Engineering and
Technology suggested that the extract
could probably be acting through both
peripheral and central pain mechanisms like
aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. This is
quite different from morphine and similar
drugs that act on the central nervous
system.
However, they intend to work more on
isolating and characterising the active
ingredient in the extract as well as to
determine its clear-cut mode of action.
The findings of the study are important
because new, more effective pain-relieving
drugs without addiction and side effect
issues are needed. Given that widely used
pain killers like aspirin and morphine were
originally derived from natural sources,
turning to herbal and traditional medicine
for new products is a rational approach.
Herbal ointments containing different
medicinal plants like physic nut are used in
folk practice to promote wound repair.
Although the use of the leave extract of
physic nut in skin infections and wound
treatment in many local communities in
south-eastern Nigeria is well known, its pro-
wound healing activity was never
investigated. However, researchers in a
study published in the International
Journal of Applied Research in Natural
Products which assessed an herbal
ointment containing the leaf extract of
physic nut found that it caused a
significantly higher rate of wound healing
without leaving any scar.
The herbal ointment was tried out in rats by
Esimone CO and Nworu CS from the Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Nigeria, Nsukka in collaboration with
Jackson CL from Department of
Pharmaceutics, University of Uyo. The study
entitled “Cutaneous wound healing activity
of a herbal ointment containing the leaf
extract of Jatropha curcas” was carried out
in rats.
Five batches of the ointment (A-E) were
prepared and used in the study. Batches A-C
contained varying concentration of the
extract (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g per 10 g of the
ointment base, respectively). Batch D was
formulated to contain gentamycin (1 % w/
w) and batch E is a blank control ointment
and was prepared with neither the extract
nor the standard drug. For each batch, 10 g
of blank petroleum jelly B.P.
The researchers, while indicating that based
on the result of the study that formulating
physic nut extracts into an ointment is
effective in wound repairs, concluded that
formulating physic nut extract as ointment
is effective in wound care and should be
explored in harnessing the potential of the
plant in the treatment of skin diseases.
This is more so given that the plant has
previously demonstrated other properties
relevant in treatment of topical infections
and blemishes.
In addition, other previous studies have
reported that the plant exhibits bioactive
activities for fever, mouth infections,
jaundice, guinea worm sores and joint
rheumatism. Some other researchers
reported that its crushed leaves had being
used as a worm expeller or to repel flies in
animals while women in South Sudan had
used its seeds as a contraceptive. In
addition, its latex showed anti-cancerous
properties.
The search for pain relieving herbs have
yielded other herbs and natural substances
such as Aloe Vera plant, Camphor, nutmeg
and castor oils, cat’s claw, devil’s claw (atale
pupa in Yoruba; gangamau in Hausa) and
eucalyptus.
Natural herbal pain relievers may provide a
safe alternative, although they should not
replace conventional medicine. These herbs
and natural substances provide pain relief
in several different ways. Some herbs may
have a direct action on your nerve’s pain
receptors, thereby desensitizing you to the
sensation of pain.
Other herbs may help reduce inflammation,
which can also help reduce your pain.
Furthermore, there are some herbs that may
help regenerate damaged tissues and
bones, especially those that are beneficial
for degenerative conditions like arthritis.