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Abstract

ABSTRACT:In the Philippines, about 11 million suffer from arthritis. Jatropha curcas is being widely used by traditional users for treating arthritis. The study evaluated the anti-arthritic claims of J. curcas leaf extract in male albino mice with collagen type II-induced arthritis by assessing two parameters; the reduction of paw thickness due to inflammation and analysis of histopathological parameters (e.g., inflammatory cell invasion, cartilage destruction, bone erosion, synovial hyperplasia, and pannus formation). Three doses of the leaf extract were used: 250mg, 500mg and 750mg per kilogram body weight while Indomethacin and water were used as positive and negative controls respectively. Post hoc analysis showed significant reduction in the paw thickness and histopathological parameters in comparison to the positive, untreated and negative controls. The median effective dose (ED 50 ) is 963.86 mg. The anti-arthritic activity was dose dependent. The J. curcas leaf extract is an anti-arthritic agent in male albino mice.