Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol in rat models of pain: Any role in clinical pain management?

Background: Resveratrol (RSV) is a biomolecule that has been demonstrated in numerous studies to possess therapeutic potentials with multiple targets. Despite the reported low bioavailability, it could exhibit novel role in clinical pain management. Objective: To investigate the systemic analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of RSV in comparison to diclofenac and etoricoxib. Materials and Methods: Following institutional ethics approval, the study was conducted in the physiology research laboratory. The animals (42 male Wistar rats) used were divided into seven groups (n = 6) in separate cages. Chemical pain was evaluated using formalin-induced nociception test. Statistical analysis was done using analysis of variance and Kruskal–Wallis statistical tests. Results: There is a significant change in nociceptive score in the early phase; however, no significant changes in the late phase in the formalin test. Anti-inflammatory studies showed that RSV 50 mg/kg has a significantly potent anti-inflammatory effect when compared to control, but similar in activity to etoricoxib. Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-2 concentration did not significantly differ between the groups. Conclusion: RSV may elicit its analgesic actions by inhibiting the direct activation of nociceptors. It may be suggested that systemic RSV at a dose of 50 mg/kg in Wistar rats significantly reduces inflammation comparable to etoricoxib, but possibly less potent than diclofenac. Thus, RSV may be useful in the management of acute and chronic pain with significant inflammatory components. Further broad based human clinical studies on the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol are required to confirm its potential role in clinical pain management.