Abstract

CLINICAL EVALUATION OF BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF WITHANIA SOMNIFERA IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: AN OPEN LABEL SINGLE ARM PILOT STUDY

A. Mariappan*, M. Devaprasad, Ashish Jaiswal, V. Banumathi, U. Mabalirajan*

ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants comprise an immense potential for producing new drugs of great benefit to mankind and represent a rich source of therapeutically active constituents. Efficacy of many indigenous plants for several disorders has been described by practitioners of traditional medicine. Indian traditional medicine uses the herb Withania Somnifera (WS) as an ailment for variety of dreadful diseases as it seems rich in wide variety of bioactive secondary metabolites. However, still now there is no proper documentary evidence on effect of WS on rheumatoid arthritis with respect to clinical symptoms including biochemical and other immune related parameters. Present investigation aimed at investigating the biochemical and immune effects of WS powder in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Total of 19 patients identified with rheumatoid arthritis have been selected for the open clinical trial and were treated with WS powder in honey for the period of 48 days. Followed by this clinical, laboratory and immune investigations were performed before and after drug administration. Results of phytochemical investigation have proven that WS powder had Alkaloids, Saponins, Tannins, Phenols, Steroids, Terpenoids and Carbohydrates. HTLC analysis revealed the presence of 8 prominent peaks. Treatment with WS powder reduced the clinical pain score gradually. The reduction in clinical symptoms were associated with the increased haemoglobin levels, reduced ESR and CRP levels, reduced WBC counts, reduced total bilirubin and Direct bilirubin and SGOT, reduced serum urea and serum creatinine including reduction in IL-25 levels without any alteration in IL-8. Thus, WS significantly reduced the subjective symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis along with a reduction in inflammatory parameters like CRP, ESR. These beneficial effects in patients were also associated with improvement in blood haemoglobin, kidney and liver functions. Hence from the present clinical study it was concluded that usage of WS may halt the progression of arthritis and shall be considered to be first line treatment for the management of rheumatoid arthritis.

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, Withania Somnifera, Phytochemical, HPTLC, Immune parameters.