Abstract

ANALGESIC AND ANTI-ARTHRITIC ACTIVITY OF CYCAS BEDDOMEI DYER. MALE CONE EXTRACTS.

Cheruku Alekhya and Nimmanapalli Yasodamma*

Abstract

Arthritis has become very common among the adult population above 50 years of age nearly 0.5-1% of the world population. It is two to three times common in women than men. Arthritic disorders comprise a group of more than hundred rheumatic diseases, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most prevalent forms share a similar outcome of joint destruction. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) developed new criteria for RA diagnosis including joint evaluation, duration of symptoms, serologic tests and acute phase response Erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR) and CRP-C reaction protein. Symptom Modifying Anti-rheumatic Drugs (SMARDs), hydroxyl chloroquine, cyclosporine, azathioprine, D-penicillamine auranofin and intra muscular gold are widely used to control rheumatism. Analgesics are used to reduce pain; anti-inflammatory drugs (Non-steroidal) cause several adverse effects being gastro intestinal toxicity and renal damage. Highly selective drugs on the inhibition of cyclooxygenase enzyme COX-1 and COX-2 known as Coxibs (Celecoxib and Rofecoxib) claimed low gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. But found increased risk of heart attack and stroke hence rofecoxib was withdrawn worldwide. Treatment with analgesics include drug therapy to alter the nociceptive and physiologic response in addition to cognitive behavioural strategies as distraction, relaxation to alter the physiological response. Most of the analgesic drugs inhibit prostaglandin synthesis in the periphery. Hence male cone extracts Cycas beddomei of an endemic medicinal plant on CFA induced arthritis male rats has been carried out and observed its efficacy at 250 mg/kg b.wt equally to that of the standard drug treated rats in reducing arthritis inflammation, maintaining haematological and biochemical parameters including radiological analysis in reducing bone destruction at joint spaces.

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cyclooxygenase, haematological, biochemical.