Comparative study of anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effect of Tinospora cordifolia (Chittamruthu)and Vitex negundo Linn.(Karinochi)in rats

Abstract

Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effect of T. cordifolia, V. negundo and the combination of two herbal agents were assessed and compared in rats. Carrageenin induced rat paw oedema and tail flick method of nociception were adopted for anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive screening respectively. Diclofenac potassium at the rate of 3 mg/kg was used as a standard drug for both the studies. Anti-inflammatory effect of T. cordifolia at the rate of 100 mg/kg, V. negundo at the rate of 100 mg/kg and the combination of these agents at 50 mg/kg of each were studied in rats. Test drugs at the rate of 1000 mg/kg for both T. cordifolia and V. negundo and 500 mg of each agent in combination were given for anti-nociceptive study in rats. Anti-inflammatory effect of T. cordifolia was found effective in first phase and V. negundo in the second phase of carrageenin induced inflammation. The combination of the herbal agents produced a uniform significant inhibition in both the phases. Anti-nociceptive effect was found significant for both the herbal agents and their combination, in tail flick method of nociception. This suggested a central mediated mechanism of anti-nociception by both the agents. Adrenal parameters like gland weight, ascorbic acid and cholesterol for anti-inflammatory study suggested that T. cordifolia and V. negundo had a preventive effect on the inflammation induced changes in adrenal gland. However combination of the herbal agents was found to decrease the preventive action of the individual agents against inflammation induced changes in adrenal gland. The involvement of endogenous modulatory system for the anti-nociceptive effect of T. cordifolia and V. negundo was in contrary because of the anonymous increase of adrenal ascorbic acid and decrease of adrenal cholesterol. T. cordifolia was found effective in lowering the serum cholesterol whereas combination was not that much effective. None of the treatments were found to inhibit the lipid peroxidation induced by inflammation in plasma. Combination of T. cordifolia and V. negundo showed a significant peak increase of plasma lipid peroxide level. The rise in serum level of AST and ALT in both inflammation and nociception were not inhibited by the treatments. Haematological parameters for all groups were within the normal range. However an increase in neutrophil count than lymphocyte was noticed in carrageenin induced inflammation. Both the studies showed an increase in neutrophil count without an increase in total leukocyte count for T. cordifolia. V. negundo showed an increase in total leukocyte count in anti-inflammatory study. A decrease in total leukocyte count and neutrophil count was made by the combination of T. cordifolia and V. negundo in anti-inflammatory study. However there was an increase of total leukocyte count for combination of agents in anti-nociceptive study. Total erythrocyte count and haemoglobin concentration were increased by T. cordifolia in both the studies, whereas they were normal for combination of treatment.