A Combination of Thymus vulgaris L., Oliveria decumbens Vent., and Anthemis hyalina DC. Extracts Alleviate Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Rat Model

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Khomeini and Mohammad Kermanshahi and Farabi Hospitals

2 Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

4 Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

5 Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

It has been shown that herbal medicine can be a promising therapeutic option for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a combination of Thymus vulgaris, Oliveria decumbens, and Anthemis hyalina in relieving both articular and extra-articular symptoms of RA in rats. The animals were divided into three groups: a healthy control without RA or any treatment, RA animals treated with a combination extract injection, and RA animals without any intervention. After disease induction, a combination of hydroethanolic plant extract was injected intra-articularly. Levels of inflammatory factors, rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 were measured. The activities of enzymes involved in oxidative stress, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced glutathione (GSH) were also assessed. The RA animals treated with the combination extract showed improvements in body weight, reductions in arthritis score, and reduction in hind paw volume. Histological assessments revealed decreased bone destruction and inflammatory cell infiltration after treatment with the combination extract. Histopathological observations indicated that the combination extract led to improvements in RA-induced alterations in kidney and liver tissues. The levels of liver health markers, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT), as well as renal markers, urea and creatinine, decreased with combination extract treatment. These findings demonstrate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the combination extracts of T. vulgaris, O. decumbens, and A. hyalina, proposing that they could be further investigated as potential therapeutic agents to alleviate the severity and complications of RA.

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References

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Journal of Medicinal plants and By-products
Volume 15, Issue 6
November and December 2026
Pages 690-697

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