Journal of Ethnopharmacology 134 (2011) 323–328 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Ethnopharmacology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jethpharm Anti-inflammatory activity of Terminalia paniculata bark extract against acute and chronic inflammation in rats Sahil Talwar a , K. Nandakumar a,∗ , Pawan G. Nayak a , Punit Bansal a , Jayesh Mudgal a , Vijay Mor a , Chamallamudi Mallikarjuna Rao a , Richard Lobo b a Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka 576 104, India b Department of Pharmacognosy, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal 576 104, India article info Article history: Received 11 June 2010 Received in revised form 4 November 2010 Accepted 11 December 2010 Available online 21 December 2010 Keywords: Terminalia paniculata Carrageenan-induced rat paw edema Carrageenan-induced air pouch inflammation Complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis Anti-inflammation Anti-rheumatism abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance: Terminalia paniculata Roxb. (Family-Combretaceae) is a wild tree com- monly used in traditional ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of inflammation of parotid glands and in menstrual disorders. Aim of the study: To explore the folk use of Terminalia paniculata on pharmacological grounds to evaluate the scientific basis of anti-inflammatory activity. Materials and methods: The anti-inflammatory activity of Terminalia paniculata was studied against carrageenan-induced hind paw edema, air pouch inflammation and complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)- induced arthritis in rats. The aqueous extract of Terminalia paniculata bark (TPW) was administered at the concentrations of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight. Results: TPW showed significant (p < 0.05) anti-inflammatory activity by reducing the edema volume in carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. Further, TPW (400 mg/kg) also reduced the carrageenan- induced leukocyte migration (50.92 ± 5.71%) and myeloperoxidase activity (49.31 ± 5.24%) in air pouch exudates. TPW (200 mg/kg) exhibits anti-rheumatic and analgesic activities by improving the altered haematological milieu (ESR, CRP, RF, WBC, RBC and Hb) and also by inhibiting the flexion scores and radiographic changes in CFA-induced arthritis. This extract also had significant (p < 0.05) effects on the occurrence of secondary lesions compared to CFA control. Conclusions: Terminalia paniculata bark may be a potential preventive or therapeutic candidate for the treatment of chronic inflammation and arthritis. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Inflammation represents a highly co-ordinated set of events that allow tissues to respond against injury or infection. It involves the participation of various cell types expressing and reacting to diverse mediators along a very precise sequence of events (Babu et al., 2009). Usually, inflammation is initiated through the production of specific cytokines or chemokines characterized by recruitment of leukocytes to the damage site. However, sustained or excessive inflammation can lead to numerous diseases including rheuma- toid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (Simon and Green, 2005). Abbreviations: CFA, complete Freund’s adjuvant; CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; Hb, haemoglobin; MPO, myeloperoxidase; PMNs, polymorphonuclear neutrophils; RBC, red blood cell; RF, rheumatoid factor; TPW, aqueous extract of Terminalia paniculata bark; WBC, white blood cell. ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +91 820 2922482x189; fax: +91 820 2571998. E-mail address: nandakumar77@rediffmail.com (K. Nandakumar). Terminalia paniculata Roth. (Combretaceae) is a tropical tree with a large natural distribution in Western Ghats, India. Tradi- tionally, flower juice and bark of Terminalia paniculata have been used as a remedy for cholera, for the treatment of inflamed parotid glands and in menstrual disorders (Nadkarni, 1996). However, till date there has been no investigation supporting the pharmaco- logical properties of this plant. This study was therefore aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of Terminalia paniculata bark extract in various in vivo models. 2. Materials and methods 2.1. Plant material Bark of the plant was collected from Manipal, Karnataka, India, in June 2009 and authenticated by Dr. G.K. Bhat, Profes- sor, Department of Botany from the Poornaprajna College, Udupi, India. A voucher specimen (number: MCOPS/PHCOL/2009/2) was deposited in the Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, India. 0378-8741/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2010.12.015