Flavonoid and saponin rich fractions of kiwi roots (Actinidia arguta (Sieb.et Zucc.) Planch) with antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects

The roots of kiwi (Actinidia arguta (Sieb.et Zucc.) Planch) have medicinal uses as anti-tumour, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory agents. We aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the major fractions of kiwi roots. The ethanolic extract of the plant roots was partitioned using a liquid–liquid extraction procedure to give five major fractions. Following phytochemical screening of isolated fractions, the total extract and each fraction were evaluated for their antinociception and anti-inflammatory effects using acetic acid, hot plate test, formalin and carrageenan-induced paw edema tests, respectively. The results indicated that the total extract, ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) and n-butanol fraction (BF) exhibited significant inhibition of acetic acid-induced writhing, and both phases of the formalin-induced pain response increased in time of response to thermal stimulation in hot plate test and exhibited significant dose-related inhibition of carrageenan induced paw oedema volumes when compared with the control group. It can be concluded that the flavonoid and saponin content of kiwi roots can be responsible for antinociception and anti-inflammatory effects of the plant, respectively.   Key words: Actinidia arguta, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, flavonoid, saponin.