AntiInflammatory and AntiArthritic Activity of Swertia chirata extracts in Rat Model

 

Swertia chirata

Family Gentianaceae

Ayurvedic nameKirata tikta

Unani nameChirata

Hindi nameChirayata

Trade nameChirayataParts usedWhole plant

Therapeutic uses

Swertia chirata is a bitter tonic, carminative, laxative, anti-pyretic, febrifuge, anti-periodic, anti-inflammatory, stomachic, and anti-helmintic.

It is used in treating piles, skin diseases, ulcers, and diabetes.

Medicinal Uses

S. chirayita a traditional Ayurvedic herb is used by different indigenous population groups in multiple ways for several medicinal purposes. The whole plant is widely used by local people for the treatment of hepatitis, inflammation, and digestive diseases (Bhatt et al., 2006). The wide range of medicinal uses include the treatment of chronic fever, malaria, anemia, bronchial asthma, hepatotoxic disorders, liver disorders, hepatitis, gastritis, constipation, dyspepsia, skin diseases, worms, epilepsy, ulcers, scanty urine, hypertension, melancholia, and certain types of mental disorders, secretion of bile, blood purification, and diabetes (Karan et al., 1999; Banerjee et al., 2000; Rai et al., 2000; Saha et al., 2004; Chen et al., 2011). Recently, S. chirayita extracts showed anti-hepatitis B virus (anti-HBV) activities (Zhou et al., 2015). Traditionally, decoctions of this species are used for anthelmintic, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, antimalarial, antifungal, antibacterial, cardiostimulant, antifatigue, anti-inflammatory, antiaging, antidiarrheal, as protectant of the heart and also help in lowering blood pressure and blood sugar (Schimmer and Mauthner, 1996). Herbal formulations such as Ayush-64, Diabecon, Mensturyl syrup, and Melicon V ointment (Edwin and Chungath, 1988; Mitra et al., 1996) contain S. chirayita extract in different concentrations for its antipyretic, hypoglycaemic, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Furthermore, the curative value of this herb has also been recorded in ancient Ayurveda medicine systems and other conventional medical systems.

pharmacologically bioactive compounds belonging to different classes such as xanthones and their derivatives, lignans, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, iridoids, secoiridoids, and other compounds such as chiratin, ophelicacid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid (Pant et al., 2000; Patil et al., 2013). The first isolated dimeric xanthone was chiratanin present in different parts of S. chirayita. The pharmacological efficacy of S. chirayita has been partly attributed to the biological activity of major phytoconstituents including amarogentin, swertiamarin, mangiferin, swerchirin, sweroside, amaroswerin, and gentiopicrin 

Induction of Arthritis

Arthritis was induced through the standard procedure using Type II collagen obtained from the chicken tracheal cartilage purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (USA). In this method, the healthy, uninfected, acclimatized albino rats were immunized with II collagen, dissolved in 0.1 M acetic acid (2 mg/ml) at 4°C overnight, and emulsified with an equal volume of Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) (Sigma-Aldrich, USA)  This was followed by each rat (n = 15) being injected intradermally with 4 mg/kg of collagen suspension at multiple areas around ankle joint and at the base of the tail. A booster dose injection was given after a week following the primary inoculation.

The development of rheumatic symptoms was observed following the second injection, paw edema being the first and most prominent visible signs of arthritic changes. The first set of readings for various evaluation parameters including paw edema was taken on the 15th day. The second booster dose was administered 15 days after the first booster injection, i.e., on 22nd day of experimentation. Following the protocol, the 1st reading was taken on the 15th day after immunization, and the subsequent readings were taken on the 30thday and the 45th day of experimentation.

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