Publication:

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of lipid extract from Eryx snakes in adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which long-term use of standard anti-inflammatory drugs is limited by incomplete efficacy and adverse effects, creating a need for safer alternative agents from natural sources. This study evaluated the prophylactic effect of a lipid extract obtained from Eryx snakes (LEES) in a rat model of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA).

Methods Arthritis was induced in male rats by sub-plantar injection of Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA). Animals received daily oral administration of LEES (50 mg/kg), diclofenac (10 mg/kg), or indomethacin (4 mg/kg) for 13 days. The therapeutic effects were assessed by monitoring paw edema, local hyperthermia, and pain sensitivity (Hargreaves test) over 14 days.

Results LEES administration significantly suppressed paw edema, achieving 45.6% inhibition by day 14, and effectively attenuated local hyperthermia. The extract also demonstrated significant analgesic activity by preserving thermal withdrawal latency and mitigated inflammation-associated body weight loss. Notably, the therapeutic efficacy of LEES was comparable to that of the reference NSAIDs, diclofenac and indomethacin.

Conclusions The study confirms that LEES effectively mitigates clinical signs of chronic arthritis with an efficacy profile similar to diclofenac and indomethacin. Thus, LEES represents a viable natural candidate for the development of novel anti-inflammatory agents.