Abstract
Purpose: To determine the anti-arthritic effect of arjunolic acid against complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis in rats.Methods: Arthritis was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by intradermal injection of 0.1 mL of CFA at the right footpad. Upon induction of osteoarthritis, arjunolic acid was administered via oral gavage at doses of 40 and 80 mg/kg once daily for 25 successive days. Indomethacin was used as reference drug at a dose of 3 mg/kg via gavage twice weekly for 25 days. Changes in paw swelling, serum hematology, antioxidant enzymes, serum inflammatory mediators, and histopathology were determined using standard procedures.Results: Paw swelling and weight loss in CFA-induced arthritic rats were significantly reversed (p < 0.01) by arjunolic acid. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, spleen index and thymus index were significantly reduced in CFA-induced arthritic rats (p < 0.01). Moreover, arjunolic significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, while downregulating the expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in serum (p < 0.01). The hematological and histopathological changes due to CFA-induced arthritis were ameliorated by arjunolic acid.Conclusion: The results obtained in this study indicate that arjunolic acid may possess therapeutic potentials for the management of arthritis.
 Keywords: Arjunolic acid, Triterpenoid; Oxidative stress, osteoarthritis, Inflammation
Highlights
The bioactive constituents of medicinal plants are regarded as promising candidates for pharmaceutical research
Five groups of rats were used (6 rats per group): control rats, complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritic model rats, model rats treated with arjunolic acid at doses of 40 and 80 mg/kg body weight, and positive control group given reference drug indomethacin at a dose of 3 mg/kg bwt
Paw swelling in model group continued to increase over the period of 25 days (p < 0.05)
Summary
The bioactive constituents of medicinal plants are regarded as promising candidates for pharmaceutical research. The demand for drugs derived from natural products has increased over the years [1]. Complementary and alternative medicines from plants are gaining interest among researchers due to their effectiveness and nontoxic nature. Bioactive compounds from plants are diverse in nature and function, especially with regard to pharmaceutical occupancy [2]. The basis of bioactivity of a phytochemical compound is its antioxidant effect, a parameter which determines its medicinal value. Polyphenols, flavonoids, and terpenoids are among the common phytochemical compounds that have
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