Evaluation of Analgesic Activity and Phytochemical Screening of Clitoria ternatea Linn

Clitoria ternatea L. is a member of the family Fabaceae, commonly known as ‘Aparajita’ or Girikarnika. It is a perennial climber widely used in the traditional Ayurvedic system of Indian medicine for treating a wide variety of ailments. Nowadays available drugs for the management of pains, fever, and inflammation like conditions are having many adverse effects; hence there is need for the drugs from other safer sources which will be highly safer having little or no side effects. For this purpose, Clitoria ternatea Linn leaves (Fabaceae) were screened for its phyto and pharmacological especially analgesic properties using hotplate and tail immersion method with mice. The analgesic study of Clitoria ternatea Linn leaves showed that the petroleum ether extract of the leaves have significant activity compared to pentazocin which is used as a standard. Generally Tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids and saponins are responsible for the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in many medicinal plants; hence phytoconstituents from plant leaves are also studied. These results may explain the use of the plant for the management of pains and its related ailments in the region where it is commonly found.