Relief Effects of Laoshan Cherry extracts as a Dietary Supplement against the Symptoms of Acute Gouty Arthritis in Rats induced by Urate Crystals

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of Laoshan cherry as a food or dietary supplement on relieving the symptoms of acute gouty arthritis in rats induced by urate crystals. Rats in groups of 10 were given Laoshan cherry functional extracts by oral gavage for 21 days and then injected with a sodium nitrate suspension in the rear leg ankle area as an induced acute gouty arthritis model. The ankle swelling for the model (no treatment) group increased significantly (P＜0.05) compared with blank group and experimental groups receiving 3 different doses of cherry extract; the latter displayed significantly less swelling (P＜0.05). Additionally, inflammation of rat ankles were also significantly less for the rats receiving the cherry extracts. Serum uric acid and xanthine oxidase activity also elevated in the model group and these parameters were significantly less in the rats receiving the cherry extracts. The serum levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β were significantly (P<0.05) increased for the model group and was decreased significantly (P<0.05) according to cherry extract dose. These results demonstrated that the cherries possess a functional substance that possessed a significant alleviating effect on the symptoms of gouty arthritis in rats induced by sodium urate injection.