Exploring the Effect of Terminalia Catappa Fruit Extract in Rheumatoid Arthritis: an Evaluation of Behavioural, Hematologiocal and Histopathological Parameters

Background and objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by failure of spontaneous resolution of inflammation with lifetime perseverance, becoming principal cause of inactivity. Many conventional therapies are in use but the side effects associated with them are equally problematic. Therefore an urge to explore advanced therapeutic approaches with least adverse events has seeded the idea of discovering newer herbal drugs and their respective constituents in management of RA. The current research explores anti-arthritic activity of Terminalia catappa fruits hydroalcoholic extract in CFA induced Wistar rats.

Methods: The fruits were obtained, washed, dried and processed to obtain hydroalcoholic powdered extract which was dissolved in water and given orally to the rats. Wistar rats of either sex were used in the study. The animals were injected with 0.1 ml of complete freund's adjuvant (CFA) in footpad of left hind paw. The treatment was initiated from day 0 by oral dosing of Terminalia catappa fruit extract in doses of 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg followed by CFA administration to day 21 and behavioral, hematological parameters besides histopathological screening were assessed simultaneously.

Results: The arthritic symptoms were observed to gradually decrease in treatment groups when compared against disease control groups. The parameters like body weight and pain latency were increased whereas paw volume and arthritic score were found to significantly decrease in treatment groups as compared to disease control group. The hematological parameters were also modified and were studied in treatment groups. The histopathological estimation depicted extent of damage in joint tissue of diseased rat comparable to normal, standard and combination therapy group.

Conclusion: The fruits possess anti-arthritic properties and significantly reduced paw volume, arthritic score and increased pain threshold and body weight gain besides theory hematological effects like increase in Hb and RBC and decrease in WBC, platelets and ESR levels simultaneously. The histopathological estimation confirmed decreased deterioration of joint tissue in treatment groups as compared to disease control group hence proving to be an emerging therapeutic option in management of RA.

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis; angiogenesis; cytokines; hydroalcoholic extract.; inflammation; oxidative stress.