Abstract

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF ADHATODA VASICA, EMBLICA OFFICINALIS AND CLITORIA TERNATEA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Rana Adhikary and Biswadev Bishayi*

ABSTRACT

Anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic extracts of Adhatoda vasica leaves (AVE), Emblica officinalis fruits (EOE) and Clitoria ternatea flower petals (CTE) were evaluated after carrageenan injection in Swiss albino mice. Mice were pretreated with AVE, EOE and CTE at doses of 100, 200 and 50 mg/kg body weight for seven days prior to subplantar carrageenan injection by oral gavaging. Local infiltration of PMN (in terms of MPO activity), as well as swelling of the footpad were measured at different time points. Antioxidant status (levels of GSH and LPO), activities of SOD and CAT, generation of superoxide anions and NO, as well as expression of COX-2 and MMP-2 were assessed from plantar tissue of mice after euthanasia. Levels of different pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as CRP were measured from both synovial tissue as well as serum. The inhibitory effects on most of the parameters were shown at 6hr post carrageenan injection. Among the plant materials, CTE was found to be most potential in this regard. Highest anti-inflammatory effect was shown by CTE, in comparison to AVE and EOE in terms of radical scavenging, cytokine production and iNOS and COX-2 activity. It can be concluded that C. ternatea flower petals possess potential antiarthritic activity. Therefore further studies on flower petals of C. ternatea are warranted for development of herbal ant-inflammatory drugs.

Keywords: Carrageenan, iNOS, COX-2, anti-inflammatory, nitric oxide. C. ternatea.