Invitro and Invivo Anti-Arthritic Activity of Combined Ethanolic Extracts of Calotropis gigantea and Cardiospermum halicacabum in Wistar Rats

The combined Bi-Herbal Ethanolic (BHE) extract made up of equal quantities of leaves of Calotropis gigantea and Cardiospermum halicacabum was evaluated for its synergistic invitro and invivo anti-arthritic effects and was compared with its individual ethanolic extracts of Calotropis gigantea (ECG) and Cardiospermum halicacabum (ECH). The invitro anti-arthritic potential of these extracts were evaluated in terms of its inhibition of protein denaturation, membrane stabilization and proteinase enzyme inhibition. Freund's Adjuvant Arthritis Model in Wistar rats was used to study the invivo anti-arthritic activity. The three extracts (BHE, ECG, and ECH) at the dose level of 300 mg/kg b.w. were ingested orally in the suspension in 2% CMC to the CFA treated rats once daily for 40 days and the percentage inhibition of the paw volume due to the drug treatment was calculated. All the three plant extracts exhibited dose dependent inhibition of protein denaturation and protease inhibition. They also protected the RBC cells by stabilizing the membranes. There was a marked (p<0.01) reduction in the paw volume and oedema observed in the drug treated animals when compared to the intoxicant treated animals. The BHE has got a significant reduction of these paw volume and oedema when compared to its individual extract ECG and ECH. The anti-arthritic effects of these plant extracts may attribute either due to its inhibition of protein denaturation by inhibiting the proteinase enzymes or stabilizing the membranes from the free radical attack which are generated due to the immunological and inflammatory reactions observed in most of the arthritic conditions.