Exploring the Anti-Nociceptive, Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Pyretic, and Anti-Arthritic Activity of Methanolic Extract of Desmos chinensis and Its Different Solvent Fractions: In Vivo, In Vitro, and In Silico Intervention.

OBJECTIVE

Desmos chinensis (Annonaceae) is an underexplored medicinal plant from Southeast Asia with limited pharmacological validation. This study investigated, for the first time, the analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-arthritic potential of the methanolic extract of D. chinensis leaf and its solvent-soluble fractions (n-hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate) using in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches.

METHODS

Analgesic activity was assessed using the acetic acid-induced writhing method; anti-pyretic activity was assessed using the brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia model; anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using protein denaturation; and anti-arthritic activity was assessed using the human red blood cell membrane stabilization method.

RESULT: In the writhing test, the ME and ethyl acetate fractions at 400 mg/kg produced marked analgesic effects, with 86.36% and 65.91% inhibition of writhing, respectively, compared with diclofenac (90.45%). In the anti-pyretic model, ME significantly reduced yeast-induced hyperthermia, achieving up to 100% reduction in pyrexia within 4 h at 400 mg/kg (p < 0.001). In vitro assays showed concentration-dependent anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities. ME inhibited protein denaturation with an IC50 of 337.42 μg/mL, while HRBC membrane stabilization revealed strong anti-arthritic potential with an IC50 of 246.34 μg/mL, comparable to diclofenac sodium. Docking analysis revealed favorable interactions between phytoconstituents and inflammation-related targets.

CONCLUSION

This study provides the first integrated pharmacological evidence that D. chinensis leaves possess significant analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-arthritic activities. The quantitative efficacy and in silico findings highlight D. chinensis as a promising source of bioactive compounds, warranting further isolation, mechanistic, and preclinical investigations.