Anti-arthritic evaluation of Eclipta alba in a murine model Freund’s adjuvant provoked arthritis

Abstract

Eclipta alba (E.alba) is a medicinal plant with wide range of biological action encompassing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. However, its anti arthritic activity is not reported till date. So we have evaluated the anti-arthritic property of E.alba methanolic extract in arthritis induced rats. The rats were made arthritic by single intradermal injection of complete freunds adjuvant (CFA) and E.alba (200 and 400mg/kg) were administered for 28 days. The assessment of arthritis was done by evaluating body weight, paw volume and alteration in hematological parameters (WBC, RBC, Hb and ESR). Further, to evaluate oxidative stress, malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation and antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GPx and GSH) were measured. The arthritis induced rats showed significant decrease in body weight, elevated paw oedema, and changes in blood parameters. Treatment with E.alba significantly reduced the arthritic symptoms by its anti-inflammatory effect. Further, arthritic rats displayed elevated MDA and decreased antioxidant levels and treatment with E.alba inhibited the lipid peroxidation and restored the antioxidants to normal. The present study reveals that Eclipta alba showed effective anti-arthritic activity through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property. Further the anti-arthritic activity of E. alba  might be due to the presence of various phytochemicals such as flavanoids and polyphenols.