PREVENTION AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY POTENTIAL OF CRUDE AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF BLACK ONION ON FCA-INDUCED RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN MICE

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that mainly affects flexible (synovial) joints. Black shallot, a new processing product from fresh shallot (Allium cepa L.), possesses many pharmacological and biological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. However, prevention and anti-inflammatory potential of black shallot extracts has not yet been reported on arthritis. Thus, we evaluated the effect of aqueous extract of black shallot (AeBA) on FCA (0.1ml/mouse) induced arthritis mice models with a range of doses (200, 300 and 400 mg/kg body weight) in comparison with Mobic (7.5 mg/50 kg body weight) as the reference. Body weight, temperature of the hind feet, arthritic index, relative organ weights, haematological and biochemical parameters, and histological features of ankle joints were used for assessing the effect of AeBA on joint inflammation. The dose of 400 mg AeBA /kg body weight resulted in an improvement of all the testing parameters, demonstrating the prevention and anti-inflammatory potential of the extract. These results indicate that AeBA might be a potential candidate for therapeutic rheumatoid arthritis treatment.