Abstract

Object. The objective was to investigate the effect of Elaeagnus angustifolia (E. angustifolia) extract on the joint lubrication and the activity of antioxidant in non-traumatic knee osteoarthritis model in rat. Methods. In this study, 28 male albino Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups, each comprised of seven rats: Control (healthy animals); Saline (intra-articular injection of 50 µL Saline); monoidoacetate, MIA (intra-articular injection of 50 µL MIA(; and MIA+extract (intra-articular injection of MIA and 500mg/kg daily of E. angustifolia extract intraperitoneally for four weeks). Osteoarthritis was induced by injection of 50 μL solution of 3 mg MIA in rats through infrapatellar ligament. Six weeks after intra-articular injection, Joint friction parameters consisting of cycle number, maximum peak, exponential and linear slope of cycle decay, and coefficient of friction) COF) were measured in knee joint. Activity of the superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined in blood plasma. Results. MIA injection reduced the cycle number of joint oscillation compared to the Control group. In the MIA+extract group, cycle number and maximum peak increased significantly compared to the MIA group (P=0.032 and P=0.016, respectively). E. angustifolia extract resulted in the increase of SOD and GPx activity (P=0.011 and P=0.05, respectively) and the decrease of MDA activity (P=0.000) compared to MIA group. Conclusions. The results showed that E. angustifolia extract is effective to improve the antioxidant enzyme activity and subsequently to decrease the joint friction in the non-traumatic knee osteoarthritis model. © 2020, CIC Edizioni Internazionali s.r.l.. All rights reserved.