DISEASE MODIFYING POTENTIAL OF WEDELOLACTONE RICH FRACTION OF ECLIPTA ALBA IN ADJUVANT INDUCED ARTHRITIS IN RATS BY INHIBITION OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES

Eclipta alba (Family-Asteraceae) is a herb commonly used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of inflammation, pain, and wounds. The present study is aimed to validate the ethnobotanical use of Eclipta alba in an animal model. The animals were induced with arthritis by injection of FCA on day 0 and treated with wedelolactone rich fractions of Eclipta alba (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) from day 12 to day 28. WEA caused a significant effect in arthritis by inhibiting the joint inflammation and decreasing hyperalgesia and allodynia. WEA significantly decreased the biochemical markers and serum Tumor Necrosis factor-α, Interleukin 1β and Interleukin-6 levels and significantly increased the antioxidant profile. WEA (400 mg/kg) exhibited anti-rheumatic activity as evidenced by altered hematological milieu (ESR, CRP, WBC, RBC and Hb), histopathology of ankle joints, reduced cytokine levels, paw volume and related parameters associated with arthritis. Taken together, these results demonstrated the antiarthritic activity of WEA against experimental arthritis, and the underlying mechanism behind this efficacy might be mediated by inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines by wedelolactone in combination with other phytoconstituents.