In vivo Anti-inflammatory and Anti-osteoarthritis Effects of a Vietnamese Traditional Remedy, KNC, in Animal Models

Abstract

In Vietnam Traditional Medicine, the KNC remedy includes 14 herbs and has been used to treat rheumatism. However, the anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoarthritis studies of KNC have been reported detail so far. The present study aimed to explore the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of an aqueous extract of the Vietnamese traditional formulation, KNC, in experimental animal models of nociception and inflammation, in vivo. The KNC extract showed anti-inflammatory activity, significantly reducing the development of carrageenan-induced oedema and granuloma weights. The anti-OA effects of KNC resulted in the significant recovery of hind limb weight-bearing, the inhibition of serum cytokine production, include tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-a, interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-6, prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂) and the inhibition of damage and synovial hyperplasia in the knees of a rat OA model. Therefore, KNC extract demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-OA activity in Wistar rats.