Experimental Evaluation of Anti-arthritic Activity of OstoCan-V50 Tablets Using Monosodium Iodoacetate-Induced Osteoarthritis in Wistar Rats

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA), a prevalent degenerative joint disorder, causes significant disability due to cartilage degradation, inflammation, and pain. Current treatments offer symptomatic relief but fail to modify disease progression and carry adverse effects. OstoCan-V50, a novel polyherbal formulation containing Withania somnifera (L.), Boswellia serrata Roxb. ex Coleb., Cissus quadrangularis (L.), Kukkudandatwak Bhasma, and Cannabis sativa (L.), holds potential as a safer, disease-modifying therapy. This study evaluates its anti-arthritic efficacy and safety in a preclinical model. Methods: Following the Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments, Version 2.0 (ARRIVE 2.0) and Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA) guidelines, female Wistar rats with monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis were divided into six groups (n=8), including controls, diclofenac (10 mg/kg), and OstoCan-V50 (12.87, 25.75, 51.5 mg/kg). Treatments were given orally for 28 days. Knee thickness, pain threshold, serum cytokines, haematology, radiology, and histopathology were assessed. Acute toxicity (2000 mg/kg) followed OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Guideline 423(OECD). Data were analysed using ANOVA (p < 0.05). Results: OstoCan-V50 significantly reduced knee joint inflammation, increased pain threshold, and improved food intake, water intake, and body weight in MIA-induced osteoarthritis. Serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels decreased markedly (p < 0.0001), with the 51.5 mg/kg dose showing efficacy comparable to diclofenac. Haematological alterations were normalized, while radiology and histopathology demonstrated reduced joint damage and greater viable chondrocyte counts. No toxicity was observed at 2000 mg/kg in the acute study. Conclusion: OstoCan-V50 demonstrated significant anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects with a safety profile superior to conventional therapy in the MIA-induced osteoarthritis model. The findings support its potential as a promising, safe, polyherbal candidate for disease modification in osteoarthritis and justify further evaluation in chronic models and clinical trials.