Exploration of acute and chronic anti-inflammatory potential of extracts in Wistar rats: A mechanistic insight.

This research was conducted to validate the folkloric use of (QL) leaf extracts against inflammation and arthritis and to determine the chemical composition using HPLC. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of QL were evaluated by anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory (inhibition of protein denaturation and membrane stabilization) assays, and anti-inflammatory (carrageenan and xylene-induced edema) and anti-arthritic models. For anti-arthritic potential, 0.1 mL Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) was inoculated into the left hind paw of a Wistar rat on day 1, and oral dosing with QL methanolic extract (QLME) at 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg was begun at day 8 till the 28th day in all groups, except disease control that was given distilled water, while methotrexate was given as standard treatment. There was a noteworthy ( < 0.05-0.0001) restoration in body weight, paw edema, arthritic index, altered blood parameters, and oxidative stress biomarkers in treated rats as compared to the diseased group. Moreover, QLME treatment significantly ( < 0.0001) downregulated TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, COX-2, and NF-κB, while significantly ( < 0.0001) upregulating IL-10, I-κB, and IL-4 in contrast to the diseased group. The QLME exhibited no mortality in the acute toxicity study. It was concluded that QLME possessed substantial anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-arthritic potential at all dosage levels prominently at 600 mg/kg might be due to the presence of quercetin, gallic, sinapic, and ferulic acids.