Anti-inflammatory activity

ABSTRACT Thiriloga Chindhamani Pills (TCP) is commonly used in Siddha system of medicine for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. However, these activities have not been scientifically validated through experimental procedures and clinical trials. So the present work was carried out to evaluate the above activities of TCP in rats. Hot Plate model was used to determine the analgesic activity. Two doses of TCP (100 mg and 200 mg/kg) was used and Diclofenac Sodium was used as standard. Among the two doses 200mg/kg showed highly significant analgesic activity indicated the analgesic activity of TCP in dose dependent manner. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity was carried out by carrageenan induced acute inflammatory model in rats. TCP100, TCP200 and reference drug Indomethacin was administered. The results showed that there was a significant difference in oedema size between all the tested groups. TCP 200 exhibited highly significant effect which is similar to that of standard drug. Evaluation of the antiarthritic activity of TCP was evaluated on Freund's complete adjuvant induced arthritic model. Two doses of TCP (100 and 200 mg / kg) and the reference drug Prednisolone 10mg/kg were administered. Both the positive control and two doses of Thiriloga Chindhamani Pills decreased the inflammatory process and TCP 200 significantly decrease the inflammation when compared to the control. This work has shown that Thiriloga Chindhamani Pills have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities, which would justify their traditional use in Siddha system of medicine.

Ficus recemosa is an underutilized vegetable; however, it has many folk medicinal uses. Still there is a lack of systematic report on the phytochemicals present in this underutilized vegetable. The objectives of this study were to investigate the phytochemicals and to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory activity of Ficus recemosa fruit extracts using five different solvents. Five different extracts (in methanol, ethanol, chloroform, n-hexane and petroleum ether) of mature Ficus racemosa fruits were prepared by employing maceration process. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of phytochemicals in the extracts were performed. Several in vitro assay methods were used to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Qualitative test detected the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, flavonols, resins, saponins, proanthocyanidins, coumarins, steroids and tannins in the extracts. Quantitative analyses demonstrated the highest content of polyphenols such as phenolics (56.90±1.37 mg gallic acid/ g dry weight), flavonoids (32.33±2.60 mg of catechin/ g dry weight), flavonols (4.21±.19 mg of quercetin/ g dry weight) and proanthocyanidins (12.59±.39 mg of catechin/ g dry weight) in ethanolic extract. DPPH and Superoxide radical scavenging assays of methanolic extract showed the strongest antioxidant activity (IC50 values are 42.80±1.78 and 72.95±4.10 µg/ml, respectively) than those of other extracts, whereas, ABTS and nitric oxide scavenging assays of ethanolic extract showed the highest activity with the IC50 value of 65.15±3.4 and 140.3±2.35 µg/ml, respectively. In egg albumin and BSA denaturation assay ethanolic extract was found to be the most effective. Extracts of Ficus racemosa fruits possesses a wide range of pharmacologically important phytochemicals which exhibited strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.