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eCAM 2005 2(3):301-308; doi:10.1093/ecam/neh117
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© The Author (2005). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
The online version of this article has been published under an open access model. Users are entitled to use, reproduce, disseminate, or display the open access version of this article for non-commercial purposes provided that: the original authorship is properly and fully attributed; the Journal and Oxford University Press are attributed as the original place of publication with the correct citation details given; if an article is subsequently reproduced or disseminated not in its entirety but only in part or as a derivative work this must be clearly indicated. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions{at}oupjournals.org

Review

Biological Basis for the Use of Botanicals in Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Review

Salahuddin Ahmed, Jeremy Anuntiyo, Charles J. Malemud and Tariq M. Haqqi*

Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatic Diseases, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH-44106-4946, USA

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee and hip is a debilitating disease affecting more women than men and the risk of developing OA increases precipitously with aging. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common form of inflammatory joint diseases, is a disease of unknown etiology and affects ~1% of the population worldwide, and unlike OA, generally involves many joints because of the systemic nature of the disease. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the first drugs of choice for the symptomatic treatment of both OA and RA. Because of the risks associated with the use of NSAIDs and other limitations, the use of alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and medicinal herbs, is on the rise and according to reports ~60–90% of dissatisfied arthritis patients are likely to seek the option of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This paper reviews the efficacy of some of the common herbs that have a history of human use and their anti-inflammatory or antiarthritic properties have been evaluated in animal models of inflammatory arthritis, in studies employing well defined and widely accepted in vitro models that use human chondrocytes/cartilage explants or in clinical trials. Available data suggests that the extracts of most of these herbs or compounds derived from them may provide a safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic approach for the treatment of OA and RA. This, in turn, argues for trials to establish efficacy and optimum dosage of these compounds for treating human inflammatory and degenerative joint diseases.

Keywords: cats claw – curcumin – ginger – green tea – inflammation – osteoarthritis – rheumatoid arthritis

*For reprints and all correspondence: Dr Tariq M. Haqqi, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatic Diseases, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2109 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH-44106-4946, USA. Tel: +1-216-368-1374; Fax: +1-216-368-1332; E-mail: txh5{at}case.edu


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Accolades and Addenda for "Use of Botanicals in Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis"
Alex Vasquez, et al.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 13 Dec 2005 [Full text]

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