ASSESSMENT OF POUZOLZIA ZEYLANICA ROLE ON BIOLOGICAL MARKERS IN ARTHRITIS INDUCED RATS

Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Benn. is a medicinal plant widely found in the Asian continent, including the North Eastern (NE) region of India. The plant is being used for its various medicinal properties against wide range of disease conditions as folk medicine in Assam and various places. A research was designed to carry out an evaluation of anti-arthritic activity of the leaves of Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Benn. with special reference to its protective effect against arthritis-induced different pathological manifestations. Anti-arthritic activity of methanol extract of Pouzolzia Zeylanica (L.) Benn. leaf was investigated in two dose levels and further various studies were carried out to ascertain the degree of reversing the arthritic manifestations induced by formalin. LD₅₀ values of the extract were found to be safe up to 2000 mg. The in vivo biological studies on male Wister rats at the doses of 250 mg and 500 mg/kg body weight respectively was carried out taking Aceclofenac as standard. The methanol extract of Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Benn. leaf, significantly improved the arthritic parameters such as arthritic index, paw volume, various hematological and biochemical parameters along with spleen index and radiographic score in respect to Aceclofenac group. The test extract at the dose 500 mg/kg body weight was found to be more effective than 250 mg/Kg body weight. The radiological and his to pathological studies further augment the protective effect of Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Benn. Leaf extract against arthritis induces tissue damages to extract thereby validates the anti-arthritic effect of the plant.