INVESTIGATION INTO THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF THOTTEA SILIQUOSA EXTRACT IN AMELIORATING INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS AND ANTIARTHRITIC POTENTIAL: A PRECLINICAL IN VITRO AND IN VIVO APPROACH

Thottea siliquosa has been traditionally used to treat various inflammatory conditions. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate the anti-arthritic activity of aqueous alcoholic extract of Thottea siliquosa through in vitro and in vivo procedures, including proteinase inhibitory activity, egg albumin denaturation assay, nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assay, and assessment of inflammatory mediators like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. In in vivo study, Thottea siliquosa (200 and 400 mk/kg) was evaluated using carrageenan-inducedarthritic models. In in vitro Thottea siliquosa has shown dose-dependent proteinase inhibitory activity, and egg albumin denaturation, and anti-inflammatory activity through the reduction on NO, and pro-inflammatory mediators like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. In in vivo Thottea siliquosa significantly inhibited increase in paw and joint swelling as compared to diseased group. In addition it has shown to improve body weight, muscle strength using Kondziela's inverted screen test, and increased thermal response latency.It is thus possible that Thottea siliquosa may be a possible candidate for anti-arthriticdrugs. Further, the molecular level and genetic studies are required to confirm its exact mechanism of action.