THE EFFECT OF THIRTEEN MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN CHINESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND FOLK MEDICINE ON EXPERIMENTAL ARTHRITIS IN RATS

Thirteen vegetable drugs used in Chinese traditional medicine or folk medicine were screened for antiphlogistic activity in animals. Irritation arthritis produced in rats by subcutaneous injections of either formalin or egg white to the ankle joint of the hind leg was employed for the test. The decoctions and (or) alcoholic extracts made from the drugs were administered orally at dosages corresponding to 10 gm crude drug per kg 30—40 minutes prior to the injection of egg white or 5 gm (crude drug)/kg once daily for 5 days starting 24 hours after the injection of formalin. The results indicate that pretreatment of the animals with preparations of Pottsia laxiflora O. Ktze, Elephantopus tomentosus L., Zingiber officinale Rose, and Serissa sp. markedly inhibited the development of egg white irritation arthritis. Ledebouriella seseloides Wolff and Asarum sieboldi Miq. were less active. Although the development of egg white irritation arthritis was not inhibited by Coix lackryma-jobi L., Dipsucus sp., Achyranthes bidentata Bl. (alcoholic extracts), Eupatorium stoeckadosmum Hance (alcoholic extract), and Elephantopus scaber L., the swelling of the ankle joints regressed more rapidly under the influence of these preparations. Of the 6 preparations tested for the treatment of formalin arthritis, alcoholic extracts of A. bidentata and E. scaber were shown to be more effective than A. sieboldi, C. lackryma-jobi and Serissa sp., while L. seseloides was inactive.