DOI: 10.21276/sajp.2018.7.8.1

Pages: 354-364

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting joints manifesting as pain, stiffness, and synovitis leading to articular destruction. Current medical treatments do not consistently halt the long-term progression of this disease, and surgery may still be needed to restore mechanical function in large joint. Patients with rheumatic syndromes often seek alternative therapies, with homeopathy being one of the most frequent. So the necessity of this study gains more interest to prove the efficacy of alternative system of medicine. Objective of the present study is to carry out preliminary phytochemical screening followed by the evaluation of anti-arthritic potential of Ledum Pal mother tincture (LPMT) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cell lines. Phytochemical screening was done to find the presence of various primary and secondary metabolites of the plant. In-vitro anti-arthritic activity was evaluated by assessing the inhibitory property of LPMT on LPS stimulated cell lines using several assays like cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), inducable nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and estimation of cellular nitrite level, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity using diclofenac as standard. Phytochemical tests of LPMT indicated the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, carbohydrates, proteins, tannins, saponins, and glycosides. Macrophages produce COX-2, 5-LOX, iNOS, cellular nitrite and myeloperoxidase etc.