Diu Le Bang, a folk medicine derived from the roots of the nappy tree (Claoxylon indicum Hassk.), has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. In a study in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, researchers found that Diu Le Bang possessed significant anti-arthritis activity based on models with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) mice.
Diu Le Bang is known to relieve swelling of the foot, including lumbocrural pain and foot edema.
In the study, researchers tested whether the ethanol extract from Claoxylon indicum (CIE) could be used to improve adjuvant-induced joint arthritis.
Researchers evaluated the severity of arthritis in mice using arthritic scores, hind paws edema and spleen index, and histological examinations. Biomarkers, such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), were collected in the knee joints for further tests.
The findings revealed that mice treated with CIE had significantly lower inflammatory responses based on results from paw swelling, hyperplasia of lymphatic tissues, and synovial membrane.
CIE also decreased biomarkers for inflammation such as IL-1β and TNF-α expression in arthritic joints.
The authors concluded that CIE could be used to inhibit arthritis activity and potentially treat rheumatoid arthritis.
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Journal Reference:
Chen Y, Wang Q-W, Zuo J, Chen J-W, Li X. ANTI-ARTHRITIC ACTIVITY OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF CLAOXYLON INDICUM ON FREUND’S COMPLETE ADJUVANT-INDUCED ARTHRITIS IN MICE. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 5 January 2017;17(11). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1500-7