Preclinical evaluation of antiarthritic activity of ultra‑diluted preparations of capsaicin alkaloids (CP‑10), tumor necrosis factor‑alpha, and Magnesium phosphoricum in wistar rats

Abstract

Background: The use of animal models in the development of new medicine and research is common in the conventional medicine. Animal model for new drug discovery and efficacy testing for preclinical research is explored in Homoeopathy only by a few. This study explores the possibility to test in a controlled way the effects of homoeopathic remedies on experimental model of acute inflammation in rats. Methods: Wistar rats were divided into seven groups (seventy rats of 6–8 weeks’ age); medicines were evaluated by oral administration in the Complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)‑induced arthritis. Two new homoeopathic preparations, a combination of Capsaicin and Dihydrocapsaicin (CP‑10), tumor necrosis factor‑alpha (TNF‑α), and one existing homoeopathic medicine, Magnesium phosphoricum (0.6 ml oral), were evaluated against vehicle control using Diclofenac as a standard. Edema was measured using a water‑based plethysmometer, before and at different times after arthritis induction. Results: Magnesium phosphoricum showed good results, almost similar to Diclofenac at days 7 and 21, whereas CP‑10 and TNF‑α showed nonsignificant results. The body processes reversed the inflammatory condition on day 7 onward indicated by similar paw volume of all the treatments. Arthritic index was higher with negative control, which was decreased by CP‑10 although nonsignificantly on days 7 and 21. Diclofenac and Magnesium phosphoricum showed significant reduction in arthritic index on days 7 and 21. Conclusion: Ultra‑diluted homoeopathic preparations of Magnesium phosphoricum exhibited definite antiarthritic activity. The same could have been confirmed studying the levels of inflammatory biomarkers in a study with longer treatment period.