ABSTRACT
Love vine (Cassytha filifomis) has ethnobotanical significance in Nigeria. This study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of C.filifomis extract on formalin-induced arthritis (Joint Inflammation).
Joint Inflammation was induced by injection of 0.02 ml of 2.5 % formalin solution into the left hind paw of the rat and 0.03 ml/10 g Tween 20 was added to solubilize the C.filifomis extracts and the standard Drug (ASA). The plant materials of C.filifomis were extracted and then concentrated in a rotary evaporator. Rats were pre-treated orally for 4 days and categorized into 5 Groups: A, B, C received 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg extract (C.filifomis) respectively, D received 200 mg/kg Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and E serve as the control (0.03 ml/10 g tween 20 and distilled water), for 6 days. Blood Serum from rats were analysed for Catalase (CAT), Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD), Glutathione Peroxide (GPx) and Malondialdehyde (MDA).
The Oedema result shows that Group C (0.52 ± 0.17 mm) slightly outperformed Group D (0.53 ± 0.27 mm) in reducing oedema rates. Meanwhile, the MDA results revealed a significant decrease in values from Group A to D, ranging from 5.17 ± 0.05 mm to 1.43 ± 0.06 mm, respectively. Notably, Group E exhibited the highest values for both oedema (0.94 ± 0.05 mm) and MDA (7.32 ± 0.056 mm). A significant increase in the values was recorded from Group A to Group D in CAT: 0.61 ± 0.04 to 0.82 ± 0.01 (u/ml), GPx: 7.77 ± 0.06 to 12.47 ± 0.12 (u/ml) and SOD: 183.40 ± 2.17 to 243.30 ± 3.64 (units/ g tissue) while Group E recorded the lowest value in CAT: 0.42 ± 0.02 u/ml, GPx: 4.23 ± 0.15 u/ml and SOD: 85.10 ± 4.01 units/g tissue. Statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) existed among antioxidant indices across treatments. The 400 mg/kg C.filifomis extract (Group C) approached the efficacy of 200 mg/kg ASA (Group D), highlighting its potential for arthritis treatment. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that 400mg/kg of C. filiformis extract can serve as a potential alternative to aspirin (Acetylsalicylic acid) for arthritis treatment. Future research should investigate the use of higher concentrations of C. filiformis extract to enhance its effectiveness in arthritis therapy.
