PREVENTION OF PEPTIC ULCERS BY CURCUMIN IN CHEMICALLY INDUCED OSTEOARTHRITIS
Objective: The present study was carried out to investigate the role of curcumin in osteoarthritis when it is used as an adjuvant to diclofenac sodium.Methods: Osteoarthritis (OA) was induced by administering nalidixic acid 400 mg/kg. Animals (Female rats) were divided into 5 groups each containing 6 animals. Group I was considered as control, group II in which the animals were induced with osteoarthritis with nalidixic acid and were given no treatment. Group III in which osteoarthritis induced animals were treated with diclofenac sodium by the oral route. Group IV osteoarthritis induced animals were treated with the combination of diclofenac sodium and curcumin and group V animals were pre-treated with curcumin and then induced with osteoarthritis. Parameters like ulcer area, ulcer index, free acidity, total acidity, the volume of gastric juice were estimated. Histopathological studies were also carried out.Results: The data of our study shows that nalidixic acid has not shown much effect on the gastric parameters in group II animals. The ulcer index, free acidity, total acidity and gastric juice volume were increased significantly (p<0.001) in group III and decreased in group IV animals (p<0.05) when compared to group I control animals. Group V animals pretreated with curcumin have shown fewer incidences of gastric ulcers and other ulcerative parameters non significantly. Histopathology also suggests a low incidence of ulcers in group IV and group V.Conclusion: It demonstrates that curcumin when used along with the conventional NSAIDs as an adjuvant therapy, has a role in treating osteoarthritis effectively.