Assessment of anti-arthritic potential of ethanolic extract and its fractions of aerial parts of Alhagi pseudalhagi (Bieb.) Desv. in animal models

Abstract

The plant Alhagi pseudalhagi (Bieb.) Desv. (family: Fabaceae) have long been used traditionally mainly for the treating rheumatism and gout in Indian system of medicine. The present work explores the phytochemical screening and effect of the crude extract of the aerial parts of A. pseudalhagi and its fractions in different experimental models of arthritis. The dried pulverized aerial parts of the plant were extracted using 95% ethanol and water. The 95% ethanolic extract (APEE) was fractionated in four fractions including chloroform fraction (APC), ethyl acetate fraction (APEA), methanolic fraction (APM) and aqueous fraction (APA). Both extracts and all the four fractions were subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening and TLC. Hematological and biochemical parameters viz. measurement of paw volume, joint diameter, body weight, RBC, WBC, Platelets, CRP, RF, Hb, ALT, AST, ALP and Total protein were determined on APEE and APEA and justified by histopathological and radiological analysis. The anti-arthritic activity was evaluated using Formaldehyde induced arthritic model, Turpentine induced arthritic model and complete freund’s adjuvant arthritic model in wistar albino rats. The plant exhibited dose dependent anti arthritic effect in Formaldehyde, Turpentine induced and complete freund’s adjuvant arthritic model. The ethyl acetate fraction showed more significant effect as compared to the 95% ethanolic extract at 400 mg/kg body weight dose. A. pseudalhagi remarkably ameliorated altered hematological parameters, body weight and positively modified radiographic and histopathological changes.