ASSESSMENT OF ANTI-ARTHRITIC ACTIVITY OF A TRADITIONAL POLY HERBAL FORMULATION

Abstract

Background: The medicinal uses of plants are in many cases based exclusively on traditional knowledge without enough scientific evidences. A polyherbal herbal formulation (Vaatrog Nashak Churna) is traditionally used for treatment of wide variety of inflammatory ailments including arthritis and joints pain.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-arthritic and anti-noceciptive activities of Vaatrog Nashak Churna (VNC) in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) and Turpentine oil animal models for commercial mass production of botanicals as a medicinal product.

Methods: Complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis in rats was used as chronic disease model. CFA-induced inflammatory paw edema, body weight, arthritic index, hematological parameters, serum analysis and histopathological analysis were all evaluated for assessment of disease progression. Turpentine oil model was applied as acute disease model through which joint edema was taken as assessment parameter to check therapeutic potential of VNC.  

Results: The analysis of various arthritic assessment parameters used in this study revealed that VNC extracted with 50 % hydro-acetone have a considerable effect in preventing development or ameliorate arthritis disease severity. Moreover, the formulation revealed significant anti-nociceptive activity at in both CFA-induced and Turpentine oil induced arthritis rats.

Conclusion: 50 % hydro-acetone extract of VNC appears to be a really promising as anti-arthritic and analgesic formulation, but larger and more detailed preclinical and clinical studies especially in human is highly recommended.