Odontostomatol Trop. 2000 Dec; 23(92): 5-11.

[Analgesic effect of Pilostigma reticulatum (nguiguis)]

Diallo B, Diouf A.

Mankind has always given himself means to fight pain by using at first, means offered to him by his environment particularly the plants. African pharmacopoeia is rich of thousand of plants. It changes in term of its ecosystem and its vegetation. Decocted leaves of pilostigma reticulatum (nguiguis in ouolof) are used in western Africa, because of its analgesic properties in case of "borom bop" literally meaning headache associated to odontalgias and mumps. In our study we used lyophilisate obtained from dry leaves of the plant which has been used for experimentation while the decocted dry leaves have been used for clinical application. So, it appeared that leaves of pilostigma reticulatum are almost atoxic when administrated by oral tract (DL50 = 17 g/kg) according to GLEASON classification which recognizes as atoxic every substance having a DL50 higher to 15 g of lyophilisate by kilogram of corporal weight. Elsewhere the study of the peripheric analgesic activity (according to the acetic acid test) has shown a very significant peripheric analgesia since the dose of 750 mg/kg which climbs with it. The clinical survey carried out at the dental community center of Pikine Icotaf based on the usual method of the utilization of the decocted (as mouth rinse) has shown that, this plant procures pain sedation in 97% of the patients having undergone dental avulsion and in 78% of the cases of desmondontal syndromes. This inaugural report must be continued in order to certify the pharmacologic or toxic effects of that plant and define clinical doses from experimental doses we have cleared.