Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, SreeBalaji Medical College & Hospital, Chennai – 600044, Tamil Nadu, India.
Physalis minima, Kaempferol-5-O-?-D-glucopyranoside, Inflammatory arthritis, Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA) model, Anti-arthritic activity. ,

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterised by persistent joint inflammation, synovial hyperplasia, cartilage degradation, and joint deformity. Freund’s Complete Adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritis is a widely accepted experimental model that mimics human RA, enabling the evaluation of potential therapeutic agents. Current RA treatments, including glucocorticoids, NSAIDs, and DMARDs, are effective but are often associated with significant side effects and high costs. Consequently, there is growing interest in herbal remedies as safer, cost-effective alternatives.This study investigated the anti-arthritic potential of Kaempferol-5-O-?-D-glucopyranoside (K-5-?-D-g), an active compound isolated from Physalis minima, a plant traditionally used for inflammatory conditions. Acute oral toxicity tests determined the LD50 value at 1000 mg/kg, with 100 mg/kg selected as the test dose. In FCA-induced arthritis models, K-5-?-D-g treatment significantly reduced paw edema, body weight loss, and arthritic index scores. Additionally, it restored haematological parameters and decreased rheumatoid factor and spleen index levels.Histopathological analysis revealed that K-5-?-D-g mitigated synovial hyperplasia, leukocyte infiltration, and cartilage damage, with higher doses providing superior joint protection. The results demonstrated that K-5-?-D-g exerts potent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, comparable to methotrexate. These findings support the traditional use of Physalis minima in treating inflammatory diseases and highlight K-5-?-D-g as a promising candidate for developing safer, plant-based therapies for RA. Further clinical studies are warranted to validate its therapeutic efficacy and safety profile.

6 , 2 , 2016