Histopathological Appraisal of the Synergistic Effect of Ginger and Curcuma on an Arthritic Rat Model

Abstract

Collagen-induced arthritis is the most used experimental model for rheumatoid arthritis. Using this model, we have appraised the histopathological effects of ginger and curcuma alone and their combination. Arthritis was induced by immunization with an emulsion of Freund’s adjuvant mixed with alum-precipitated collagen. Half of the animals from each group were sacrificed on the 21st day of arthritis induction and the remaining on the 26th day. Body-weight gain and erythrocyte sedimentation rate showed marked improvement in the treated groups (P < 0.001). A spectrum of intra-articular histopathological changes was assessed in groups II to V. The untreated arthritic rats in group II exhibited inflammation and vascularity in the synovium compared to the control rats in group I. The treated rats in groups III (ginger alone), IV (curcuma alone), and V (ginger and curcuma) showed an improvement of the hyperplastic synovium. These findings show that the combined use of ginger and curcuma may be a good option for the treatment of collagen-induced arthritis. This makes a case for a human clinical trial of the use of ginger and curcuma for arthritis.