A REVIEW ON SOME SELECTED TRADITIONAL INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS OF IMMUNOMODULATORY POTENTIAL AND THEIR THERAPEUTIC USE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Rheumatoid arthritis is a very common auto-immune inflammatory disorder, causing disability in developed and developing countries. Conventional drugs are not only costly but are also associated with very serious adverse effects. Several Indian medicinal plants have been traditionally used for their anti-arthritic effect since time immemorial. Present review focused on the immunomodulatory potentials and anti-inflammatory action of some selected medicinal plants in order to generate the experimental evidence of their therapeutic efficacy in this disease and thereby putting the base for the designing of advanced and safer drugs for this condition, thereby leading to the finding of alternative therapeutic process that can offer enhanced management of the disease. Further, these plants extent studies can result in an eco-friendly cost effective anti-arthritic herbal drug with anti-inflammatory properties contributing to the better maintenance of human society. This review summarizes the different studies performed using these medicinal plants screened for rheumatoid arthritis concerning the chemical constituents, screening methods and therapeutic moieties which will be a remarkable tool for the researcher who involves in the field of the research area.