In ethano medicine, roots of Clitoria ternatea (Family: Fabaceae) is claimed to possess antirheumatoid arthritic activity. However, this claim has not been scientifically tested and validated yet. This study assessed the antirheumatoid arthritic potential of an aqueous root extract (ARE) of Clitoria ternatea (Family: Fabaceae) using a well recognised in vitro bioassay model: inhibition of heat induced denaturation of albumin protein, which is claimed to act as an index of anti arthritic activity. Five concentrations of ARE (31.25, 62.50, 125, 250 and 500 µg/ml) and six concentrations of reference drug, Diclofenac sodium (78, 125, 156.25, 312.50, 625, 1250 and 2500 µg/ml), were used in the testing. The results showed, for the first time, that ARE of Clitoria ternatea markedly (IC50 = 184.32 ± 1.5 µg/ml) inhibited the heat induced denaturation of albumin protein in a concentration dependent manner (r 2 = 0.99). This effect was comparable to the reference drug (IC50 = 252.46 ± 0.18 µg/ml). It is concluded that ARE of Clitoria ternatea possesses anti rheumatic arthritic activity and provide scientific justification for its use in ethanomedicine.

Clitoria ternatea commonly known as Butterfly pea is a standard Ayurvedic medicinal plant used in many parts of south Asian countries. Traditional medicinal plants are a great alternative to find new treatments and for the development of novel antimicrobials to combat many diseases. In Ayurveda and traditional and folk medicine in several countries, decoction and extracts made from C. ternatea are recommended to be used for various medical treatments. C. ternatea extracts claimed to possess antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, which had been supported and validated by many in vitro and in vivo experiments. However, biologically active compound/s isolation and development novel compounds still remain in its infancy. Despite its enormous potential health benefits, only a single commercial product managed to reach industrial level production. C. ternatea cyclotide studies are also limited despite the fact that it the fastest known natural ligase discovered to date. These cyclotides are rapid peptide ligators and has been the focus of many recent studies on peptide ligation and cyclization for biotechnological applications. In this mini summary we have tried to point out innate unique biological properties of C. ternatea and suggested few future studies, more specifically on C. ternatea cyclotides development against bacterial heat shock proteins (Hsp 100) for novel antimicrobial discovery and development.