Methods for Evaluating the In vivo Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Essential Oils

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) are products of the secondary metabolism of plants, and the constituents are mainly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes of formula general (C5H8)n. The beneficial effects of the volatile compounds of essential oils have been used for a very long time by ancient civilizations to treat common pathologies. Today, so-called natural medicines are enjoying growing success with the public. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the essential oil has significant potential as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antidiabetic and painkiller agents. The use of animals is widespread in biomedical research and pain studies are no exception. Since experimentation on human subjects must be limited to moderate stimuli that do not cause injury or disease, the researchers turned to animals to find answers to their questions. Several methods have been used for the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of medicinal plant extracts, and most of the tests used to evaluate pain and inflammation in animal experiments involve inducing pain in animals with different agents.