Phytochemical Screening and Evaluation of Analgesic Activity of Capparis cartilaginea leafExtract in Experimental Animal Model

Background: Pain remains a major therapeutic challenge, and the use of conventional analgesics is often limited by undesirable adverse effects. Capparis cartilaginea is traditionally employed in the Arabian Peninsula to alleviate pain and inflammatory disorders.
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the Phytochemical Profile and Analgesic Activity of Capparis cartilaginea leaf Extract.
Methods: Preliminary phytochemical screening was conducted to identify the main classes of bioactive compounds. The analgesic activity of the ethanolic leaf extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) was evaluated in male albino rats using the acetic acid–induced writhing test as a model of peripheral nociception.
Results: Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, fixed oils, glycosides, anthraquinones, phenolic compounds (including tannins and flavonoids), saponins, and gum/mucilage. . The extract produced a significant (P < 0.05), dose-dependent reduction in the number of writhes in the acetic acid model, supporting a peripheral analgesic effect.
Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of C. cartilaginea leaves, enriched with flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, saponins, and anthraquinones, showed a clear dose-dependent antinociceptive activity in the acetic acid writhing assay, with the 400 mg/kg dose exhibiting an effect comparable to diclofenac. These findings suggest that inhibition of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins and bradykinin may underlie its analgesic action, thereby providing pharmacological support for the traditional use of C. cartilaginea in pain management.