PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILING AND ASSESSMENT OF ANTI-ARTHRITIC POTENTIAL OF CAESALPINIA CRISTA EXTRACT

Abstract

Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the joints, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and progressive destruction of cartilage and bone. Among the different forms of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the most prevalent and debilitating conditions worldwide. Conventional treatment approaches such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and biological agents provide symptomatic relief but are often associated with adverse effects including gastrointestinal irritation, cardiovascular complications, renal toxicity, and immunosuppression. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in the exploration of natural products and phytochemicals as safer and effective alternatives for the management of arthritis. Various medicinal plants and their bioactive constituents such as alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, and polyphenols have demonstrated significant anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory activities through modulation of inflammatory mediators, cytokines, oxidative stress, and immune responses. Phytochemicals including piperine, quercetin, kaempferol, resveratrol, sanguinarine, eugenol, nimbolide, and chebulanin have shown promising therapeutic potential in experimental arthritis models. The present review highlights the epidemiology, etiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and conventional treatment strategies of arthritis along with the therapeutic importance of medicinal plants and phytochemicals possessing anti-arthritic activity. The study suggests that plant-derived bioactive compounds may serve as potential candidates for the development of safer and more effective anti-arthritic therapies in the future.