ESTIMATION OF ANTIARTHRITIC ACTIVITY OF A POLYHERBAL FORMULATION AGAINST ADJUVANT INDUCED ARTHRITIS IN RATS

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disorder which involves the activation of immune system against the self-tissues. The main targets of this disease are the joints. Being systemic, the development of this disease involves different mechanisms, and thus, the exact cause of this disease remains unknown. Although different drugs have been developed, none has been found to be the cure for this disease. The present study was commenced to evaluate the in-vivo anti-arthritic effect of polyherbal formulation of selected plants Polygonum glabrum, Canthium dicoccum, Ochna obtusata and Argyreia nervosa. Materials and Methods: In-vivo anti-arthritic activity of the ethanolic extract of different portions capsule formulation F4 investigated orally was assessed using complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis. Results: In complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis models, the polyherbal extract formulations significantly (P < 0.001) reduced joint and paw swelling and markedly improved body weight, hematology profile, and parameters in complete Freund’s adjuvant model. Conclusion: It could be concluded that the ethanolic extract of two different formulations holds anti-arthritic potential, supporting its traditional use in the treatment of RA.