Anti-inflammatory Effect of Spirulina fusiformis on Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis in Mice

Abstract

The present study was carried out to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of Spirulina fusiformis on adjuvant-induced arthritis in mice. Arthritis was induced by intra dermal injection of complete freund's adjuvant (0.1 ml) into the right hind paw of Swiss albino mice. Spirulina fusiformis (800 mg/kg/b.wt) was orally administered for 8 d (from 11th to 18th day) to arthritic animals after adjuvant injection. The anti-inflammatory activity of Spirulina fusiformis was assessed by measuring paw volume, body weight, levels of lysosomal enzymes, tissue marker enzymes and glycoproteins in control and experimental animals. In adjuvant-induced arthritic animals, the levels of lysosomal enzymes, tissue marker enzymes, glycoproteins and the paw volume were increased significantly. However the body weight was found to be reduced when compared to control animals. Oral administration of Spirulina fusiformis (800 mg/kg/b.wt) significantly altered these above physical and biochemical changes observed in arthritic animals to near normal conditions. Hence results of this study clearly indicate that Spirulina fusiformis has promising anti-inflammatory activity against adjuvant-induced arthritic animals.

Evaluation of protective efficacy of Spirulina platensis against collagen-induced arthritis in rats

“…The gain of body weight in arthritic rats during S. platensis treatment may be due to enrichment of their diet with S. platensis having rich protein content. Similar results on the increment of body weight in rats following Spirulina fusiformis treatment have also been reported where S. fusiformis treatment significantly increases the body weight of animal model of adjuvantinduced arthritis (Rasool et al 2006). Normal rats fed with Spirulina also gain body weight as compared to the rats fed with normal diet (Nagaoka et al 2005).…”

“…In a previous study, S. fusiformis treatment significantly normalize the serum alkaline phosphatase activity in mice with mercury induced hepatic toxicity (Kumar et al 2005) and significantly decreases the level of alkaline phosphatase activity and increase in acid phosphatase activity in plasma, liver and spleen in adjuvant induced arthritic mice (Rasool et al 2006). In previous studies, a significant decline in serum lipid peroxidation level was also recorded in Spirulina treated rats as compared to control rats (Lu et al 2006;Hernandez et al 2001).…”

Acute and chronic anti-inflammatory properties of the stem bark aqueous and methanol extracts of Sclerocarya birrea (Anacardiaceae)

“…A major defence mechanism involves the antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) which convert active oxygen molecule into non-toxic compounds thereby inhibiting lipid peroxidation (Jain et al 2008). Liver and spleen impairments are features of adjuvant-induced arthritis (Rasool et al 2006;Narendhirakannan et al 2007, Rasool andSabina 2007). In vivo antioxidant activity of the plant extract was assessed by MDA, GSH and CAT in the liver and spleen of rats.…”

Antioxidant Effect ofSpirulina (Arthrospira) maximaon Chronic Inflammation Induced by Freund's Complete Adjuvant in Rats

“…Previous studies have determined its anti-inflammatory activity in mouse models of chronic inflammation and RA, by evaluating b-glucuronidase in synovial fluid and subplantar edema, as well as diverse enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase, but have not associated this effect with the above-mentioned antioxidant activity of this cyanobacterium. 20,21 Besides, Spirulina inhibits the activation of the nuclear transcription factor that is activated by ROS and, thereby, also inhibits the expression of cytokines and enzymes like TNF and iNOS, respectively. In this way, cyanobacteria can counter the onset of inflammatory disorders and attenuate their progression.…”