en Original Original <p align="justify"> <strong> Abstract </strong></p><p align="justify"> <strong>Introduction: </strong>Hyperalgesia is considered as one the marked signs of subchronic diabetes mellitus that could affect the life style of the patients. With c onsidering the potential anti-diabetic effect of the medicinal plant <i>Withania somnifera</i> (WS)( ashwagandha)<i>,</i> this study was designed to investigate the analgesic effect of WS on formalin-induced nociceptive responses (standard formalin test) in diabetic rats. </p><p align="justify"><strong>Methods:</strong> Rats were divided into control, WS-treated control, diabetic, sodium salicylate (SS)-treated control and diabetic and WS-treated diabetic groups. For induction of diabetes, streptozotocin (STZ) was used at a single dose. The treatment groups received oral administration of ashwagandha -mixed rat pellet (6.25%) for two months. </p><p align="justify"> <strong>Results:</strong> The results showed that diabetic rats exhibited a higher score of pain at both phases of the formalin test and WS-treated diabetic rats exhibited a lower nociceptive score at both phases of the test (p<0.05). Meanwhile, SS administration significantly reduced pain score only at chronic phase of the test in the diabetic group (p<0.01). <a name="OLE_LINK3"></a></p><p style="DIRECTION: ltr" align="justify">  <strong>Discussion:</strong> Taken together, these results indicate that two-month administration of ashwagandha could attenuate nociceptive score in an experimental model of diabetes mellitus and this may be considered as a potential treatment for painful diabetic neuropathy. </p><p align="justify">  </p> Withania somnifera, Analgesia, Diabetes mellitus, Streptozotocin, Rat 29 31 http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-7&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mohsen Khalili 137003194753284600320 137003194753284600320 Yes