linoleic-acid and lupeol

Adjuvant arthritis is widely used as an experimental model for rheumatoid arthritis and inflammation. It is useful in the evaluation of anti-inflammatory drugs. Lupeol is a naturally occuring triterpene isolated from Crataeva nurvala stem bark, and its ester lupeol linoleate was synthesized. The effects of lupeol and lupeol linoleate on the development of complement in adjuvant arthritis in rats were studied and compared with those of indomethacin. The effect of lupeol linoleate in reducing the foot-pad thickness and complement activity in arthritic rats was even greater than that of unesterified lupeol and indomethacin. Because complement is highly involved in inflammation, the results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of triterpenes may be due to their anticomplementary activity.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Arthritis, Experimental; Complement Activation; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Female; Indomethacin; Linoleic Acid; Pentacyclic Triterpenes; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Triterpenes

Lupeol, a pentacyclic triterpene was isolated from C. nurvala stem bark and its ester lupeol linoleate was synthesised. These triterpenes were tested for their anti-inflammatory activity in complete Freund's adjuvant induced arthritis rats. For some time free radicals have been implicated in damage to connective tissues during inflammatory conditions and arthritis. Lupeol and lupeol linoleate were administered orally at the dose level of 50 mg kg-1 body weight daily for 8 days, from the 11th to 18th day postadjuvantly. There was a significant increase in lipid peroxide level in plasma of arthritic rats but it was found to be decreased in the liver. The antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase were elevated in both the liver and haemolysate in adjuvant-induced rats. Blood glutathione was decreased in arthritis. The triterpenes reduced the above alterations produced in arthritic animals. The effect of lupeol linoleate was found to be better in this respect when compared with lupeol.

Topics: Animals; Arthritis, Experimental; Catalase; Female; Glutathione; Glutathione Peroxidase; India; Linoleic Acid; Lipid Peroxidation; Liver; Pentacyclic Triterpenes; Plant Stems; Plants, Medicinal; Rats; Superoxide Dismutase; Triterpenes