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Greater Plantain (Plantago major) and Arthritis / joint pain: evidence and sources
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
For educational purposes only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants, especially alongside prescribed medication, during pregnancy, or for a serious condition.
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Plantago major L. leaves have been used as a wound healing remedy for centuries in almost all parts of the world and in the treatment of a number of diseases apart from wound healing. These include diseases related to the skin, respiratory organs, digestive organs, reproduction, the circulation, against cancer, for pain relief and against infections. P. major contains biologically active compounds such as polysaccharides, lipids, caffeic acid derivatives, flavonoids, iridoid glycosides and terpenoids. Alkaloids and some organic acids have also been detected. A range of biological activities has been found from plant extracts including wound healing activity, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, weak antibiotic, immuno modulating and antiulcerogenic activity. Some of these effects may attribute to the use of this plant in folk medicine.
2 sources supporting Greater Plantain for Arthritis / joint pain. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's anti-inflammatory action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
Objective The aim of this study was to investigate anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities of Plantago major L. (PM). Materials and methods Anti-inflammatory activity: Control and reference groups were administered isotonic saline solution (ISS) and indomethacin, respectively. Plantago major groups were injected PM in doses of 5 mg/kg (PM-I), 10 mg/kg (PM-II), 20 mg/kg (PM-III) and 25 mg/kg (PM-IV). Before and three hours after the injections, the volume of right hind-paw of rats was measured using a plethysmometer. HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY: The hepatotoxicity was induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration. Control, CCl4 and reference groups received isotonic saline solution, CCl4 and silibinin, respectively. Plantago major groups received CCl4 (0.8 ml/kg) and PM in doses of 10, 20 and 25 mg/kg, respectively for seven days. Blood samples and liver were collected on the 8th day after the animals were killed. Results Plantago major had an anti-inflammatory effect matching to that of control group at doses of 20 and 25 mg/kg. It was found that reduction in the inflammation was 90.01% with indomethacin, 3.10% with PM-I, 41.56% with PM-II, 45.87% with PM-III and 49.76% with PM-IV. Median effective dose (ED50) value of PM was found to be 7.507 mg/kg. Plantago major (25 mg/kg) significantly reduced the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels when compared to the CCl4 group. The histopathological findings showed a significant difference between the PM (25 mg/kg) and CCl4 groups. Conclusion The results showed that PM had a considerable anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities.
A hexane extract of Plantago major was investigated by bioactivity-directed fractionation, using an in vitro cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis inhibition assay, and resulted in the isolation of ursolic acid (1). This triterpenoid showed a significant COX-2 inhibitory effect, directly on the enzyme activity, with an IC50 value of 130 microM and a COX-2/COX-1 selectivity ratio of 0.6. The structural isomer oleanolic acid (2) was found to be less active than 1, with an IC50 value of 295 microM, but showed a similar selectivity ratio (0.8). Furthermore, no significant inhibition on COX-2 or COX-1 was observed by the triterpenoid, 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid (3). The direct inhibitory effect of 1 and 2 on COX-2 catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis increased with preincubation, indicating a time-dependent inhibition, while the effect on COX-1 was found to be independent of preincubation time.
This study aimed to validate the pharmacological effects of Plantago major L., a medicinal plant used to decrease pain and inflammation. The aqueous extract (AE) was prepared from the dried ground leaves. Pretreatment with AE (1 g/kg, p.o.) decreased writhing induced by acetic acid in mice, but it did not change the tail flick responses to heat nociceptive stimuli. In rats, AE (1 g/kg, p.o.) reduced the paw edema and pleurisy induced by carrageenin, but it did not alter the paw edema induced by dextran. The effect of AE on the carrageenin inflammatory responses was more intense than that obtained on the ear edema induced by croton oil in mice. In addition, daily treatment with AE (1 g/kg/day during 8 days, p.o.) inhibited the exudative process induced by croton oil injected into the air pouch of rats. The results indicate that the aqueous extract of Plantago major is endowed with effective antiinflammatory and analgesic activities.