Effect of boswellic acids on complement in adjuvant— and carrageenan—induced inflammation

Kapil A. Effect of boswellic acids on complement in adjuvant- and carrageenan-induced inflammation. Inflammopharmacology. 1994;2:361-367. The in-vivo effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents on the host immune system are still poorly understood. However, through inhibition of complement, boswellic acids (BA) exhibit adjuvant-induced and carrageenan-induced anti-inflammatory properties. The present work was aimed at evaluating the influence of BA on complement-related inflammation in the experimental models of inflammation. In adjuvant-induced arthritis and carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats, BA were found to possess significant anti-inflammatory and complement-inhibitory activities. The intraperitoneal injection of BA (100 mg/kg twice a day), before and after FCA challenge and thereafter repeated for several days, significantly reduced foot pad thickness of experimental animal models and simultaneously also reduced complement activity. It also showed marked reduction in complement levels and inflammatory effects on carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats when injected intraperitoneally (100 mg/kg twice a day).