Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic immune-mediated illness characterised by joint damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Caryota mitis Lour. (C. mitis) generally termed as Fish tail plants, belong to the family Arecaceae. Caryota mitis stands out as a significant ethnopharmacological relevance, traditionally used in various disease elements such as inflammatory disorders, hyperglycemia, diarrhoea, asthma, and for snake bite poisoning. Diverse scientific validation of this plant has been proven, such as anti-tumour, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic, and anti-microbial. However, the exact anti-arthritic potential of this plant has not been validated till today. Thus, this study examines the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential of the methanol extract of C. mitis (MECM) fruit through in-vitro and in-vivo models. The in-vitro models include membrane stabilisation and protein denaturation, which confirmed that MECM effectively inhibited protein denaturation and stabilized membranes and protein denaturation, suggesting anti-inflammatory activity. In in-vivo Complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis rat models were employed to determine the therapeutic efficacy of MECM. MECM treatment to rat led to decreased paw swelling, enhanced body weight, and lowered arthritic scores. Further, biochemical investigation revealed decreased levels of “Tumor necrosis factor alpha, Interleukin-6,” oxidative stress markers, and restoration of antioxidant enzymes and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Histopathological investigation of bone joint determinations established protection against joint damage. Overall, the results indicate that C. mitis reduces rats’ inflammation and joint degeneration, likely through modulation of cytokines and oxidative stress, supporting its potential.

Key words: Inflammation, Oxidative stress, Rheumatoid arthritis, Pro-inflammatory cytokines, Adjuvant-induced arthritis model.