Effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Ferula assa-foetida L. resin on rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in the collagen-induced animal model

 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects synovial tissue in multiple joints. The potential side effects of current treatments have limited their use. As a result, interest in using complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) has reappeared. According to studies, Ferula assa-foetida L. resin it has many pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory property.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of extract of  Ferula assa-foetida L. resin on the severity of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms which is caused by collagen.

 In this experimental study, 30 female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: healthy control, sham, Dexamethasone receiving group to amount 1 mg/kg, receiving group to 100 mg/kg concentration of extract of asafoetida resin, receiving group to 300 mg/kg concentration of extract of asafoetida resin and receiving group to 100 mg/kg extract and dexamethasone (mixed group). Rheumatoid arthritis was induced by the administration of collagen type 2 and adjuvant and the intervention was performed for 24 days. The clinical evaluation started and the severity of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, by examination and standard scoring was performed.

 From the thirteenth day, Symptoms of the disease appeared and from the fourteenth day, there was a significant difference between the control and sham groups in the clinical symptom score of arthritis. Among intervention groups, receiving group to 100 mg/kg concentration of extract earlier and more cause to decreased severity of symptoms. So on the 28th day, disease severity in the control group was 13.4 and in the treatment group with a concentration of 100 mg/kg extracts of Ferula assa-foetida L. resin was 9.6.

Hydroalcoholic extract of asafoetida resin, its could reduce the severity of symptoms of ankle RA and in the dose of 100 mg/kg cause to mitigate the symptoms of apparent swelling and inflammation.