title: Amelioration of FCA induced arthritis on topical application of curcumin in combination with emu oil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to investigate the skin penetration potential of emu oil and the possibility of enhancing the antiarthritic potential of lipophilic bioactive curcumin, which has poor permeability through biological membranes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Solubility and ex vivo skin permeation studies were performed with water, corn oil, and emu oil as a vehicle using curcumin as a model drug. Carrageenan induced inflammation and Freund's complete adjuvant-induced arthritic rat models were used to evaluate enhanced antiinflammatory and antiarthritic effect of curcumin in combination of emu oil via topical route.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The skin permeation study resulted in the combination of emu oil with curcumin enhancing the flux 1.84 and 4.25 times through the rat skin compared to corn oil and water, respectively. Results of carrageenan induced rat paw edema model demonstrated that percentage of paw inhibition shown by curcumin-emu oil combination was 1.42-fold more compared to the total effect shown by both groups treated with curcumin aqueous suspension and emu oil per se. In Freund's complete adjuvant-induced arthritic model, the combined treatment was effective in bringing significant changes in the functional, biochemical, histopathologic, and radiologic parameters. Topical application of curcumin-emu oil combination resulted in significant reduced levels of proinflammatory mediators TNF-α, IL-1 β, and IL-6 (P < 0.05, 0.001, and 0.01, respectively) compared to arthritic animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Topical delivery of curcumin with emu oil holds promise as a noninvasive and efficacious intervention for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis and it assists in further development of a topical formulation of curcumin using emu oil as a vehicle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Balanagar, Hyderabad 500037, India.
authors.forename: Manish Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jeengar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Balanagar, Hyderabad 500037, India.
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.affiliation: KIMS Hospitals, Begumpet, Secunderabad 500003, India.
authors.forename: S Chandra
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Mouli Veeravalli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Balanagar, Hyderabad 500037, India. Electronic address: Vgmnaidu@niperhyd.ac.in.
authors.forename: V G M
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Naidu
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India. Electronic address: Sistla@iict.res.in.
authors.forename: Ramakrishna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sistla
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001168:Arthritis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D008297:Male; D009821:Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D009821:Oils; C575034:emu Oil; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Adjuvant induced arthritis; Curcumin; Cytokines; Emu oil; Inflammation; Topical application