Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common immune-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by increased inflammation of synovial joint, and often associated with disability. Although several studies have demonstrated the medicinal properties of durian, little is known about the role of durian wood bark for medicinal purposes. Thus, this study investigated the anti-arthritic activity of durian wood bark extract in a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods:

The rats were divided into five groups, including control, RA model, and RA model treated with durian wood bark extract (20, 30, and 40 mg/kg/day for 14 days). The effects of treatment were evaluated by clinical, as well as histological changes in the ankle joints, and the expression level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).

Results:

A complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced RA model in rats was successfully, characterized by the swelling of hind limbs, histopathological changes in ankle joints, and the upregulation of iNOS expression. The administration of durian wood bark extract at a dose of 40 mg/kg attenuated all parameters analyzed in CFA-induced RA model in rats.

Conclusion:

Amelioration of hind limb swelling, histopathological changes, and iNOS expression in the RA model indicates that durian wood bark extract can be considered as a new treatment alternative that reduces joint symptoms, as well as a future area of research in humans.

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