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. 2016 May 30;5(3):257-62.
doi: 10.5455/jice.20160521010145. eCollection 2016 Jun-Aug.

Assessment of anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties of Acmella uliginosa (Sw.) Cass. based on experiments in arthritic rat models and qualitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses

Subhashis Paul  1 , Sudeb Sarkar  2 , Tanmoy Dutta  1 , Soumen Bhattacharjee  1
Affiliations

Assessment of anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties of Acmella uliginosa (Sw.) Cass. based on experiments in arthritic rat models and qualitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses

Subhashis Paul et al. J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. .

Abstract

Aim: The principle objective of the study was to explore the anti-arthritic properties of Acmella uliginosa (AU) (Sw.) Cass. flower in a rat model and to identify potential anti-inflammatory compounds derived from flower extracts. The synergistic role played by a combination of AU flower and Aloe vera (AV) gel crude extracts was also investigated.

Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats induced with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) were used as a disease model of arthritic paw swelling. There were three experimental and two control groups, each consisting of five rats. Paw circumference and serum biochemical parameters were evaluated to investigate the role of the flower extracts in disease amelioration through a feeding schedule spanning 21 days. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses were performed to search for the presence of anti-inflammatory compounds in the ethanolic and n-hexane solvent extracts of the flower.

Results: As a visual cue to the experimental outcomes, FCA-induced paw swelling decreased to the normal level; and hemoglobin, serum protein, and albumin levels were significantly increased in the treated animals. The creatinine level was estimated to be normal in the experimental rats after the treatment. The combination of AU and AV showed the best recovery potential in all the studied parameters, confirming the synergistic efficacy of the herbal formulation. GC/MS analyses revealed the presence of at least 5 anti-inflammatory compounds including 9-octadecenoic acid (Z)-, phenylmethyl ester, astaxanthin, à-N-Normethadol, fenretinide that have reported anti-inflammatory/anti-arthritic properties.

Conclusion: Our findings indicated that the crude flower homogenate of AU contains potential anti-inflammatory compounds which could be used as an anti-inflammatory/anti-arthritic medication.

Keywords: Aloe vera; Freund’s complete adjuvant; rheumatoid arthritis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Acmella uliginosa flower and plant body in Medicinal Plant Garden of the University of North Bengal (Photograph courtesy: APD)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Change of paw circumference (mm) in different rat groups on different days after the initiation of treatment in arthritic rat models. Swelling is maximum in the diseased control (negative control [NC]) group, whereas combined dose of Aloe vera and Acmella uliginosa (AVAU) showed the best inhibition against arthritic paw swelling
Figure 3
Figure 3
Measurement of different serum physiological parameters: (a) Hemoglobin in different rat groups: Aloe vera-Acmella uliginosa (AVAU) group showed the best efficacy in normalizing the altered (decreased) hemoglobin level of diseased animals, (b) estimation of total protein in different rat groups: AU2 and AVAU showed the best effect in the normalization of altered (lowered) total protein level, (c) estimation of total albumin level, negative control (NC) showing the most decreased value of albumin, AU1 shows the best restoration of altered albumin level, (d) serum creatinine values: AU1 followed by AU2 showed the best restoration property of serum creatinine compared to diseased condition
Figure 4
Figure 4
Structures of identified anti-inflammatory compounds of Acmella uliginosa, (a) 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)-, phenylmethyl ester, (b) à-N-Normethadol, (c) astaxanthin, (d) caryophyllene oxide, (e) fenretinide
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