ANTI INFLAMMATORY EFFECT OF POLY HERBAL FORMULATION ON CARRAGEENAN INDUCED ACUTE INFLAMMATION IN ALBINO RATS

Abstract

Inflammation is defined as the local response of living mammalian tissues to injury due to any agent. It is a body defense reaction in order to eliminate or limit the spread of injurious agents as well as to remove the consequent necrosed cells and tissue and it is manifestation of the body's response to tissue damage and infection. Most currently used drugs for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases are the steroidal and non-steroidal drugs. In addition, these drugs are known to have several adverse effects, and this has encouraged the use of medicinal plants with very little side effects to substitute for this chemical therapeutics. The present study has been undertaken to evaluate the anti inflammatory potentials of poly herbal formulation on carrageenan induced paw enema in albino rats. The polyherbal formulation was prepared from Calendula officinalis L, Lantana camara L. and Desmodium gangeticum Linn. were selected under study and it can be used for the preparation of poly herbal formulation. The anti inflammatory activity was studied by using carrageenan induced paw edema model. The aqueous extracts of polyherbal formulation were administered orally at dose level of 100, 200 and 300mg/kg bw for 28 days. Indomethacin was used as a standard. After the experimental period, the blood and edematous tissue samples were collected for analysing antioxidant and biochemical parameters. The paw thickness, levels of lipid peroxide, interleukin - 6, C - reactive protein, total and differential leucocytes count were significantly increased and the superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione and total protein levels were decreased in the carrageenan induced animals. Administration of poly herbal formulation restored the levels of above parameters near to normal. The present study concludes that poly herbal formulation prepared from Calendula officinalis L, Lantana camara L. and Desmodium gangeticum Linn. has significant anti inflammatory activity against carrageenan induced paw edema in preclinical models.