Salacia reticulata is a native plant of Sri Lanka. In the
traditional medicine of Sri Lanka and India, Salacia reticulata bark is considered orally effective in the treatment of
rheumatism,
gonorrhea,
skin disease and diabetes. We have investigated, both in vivo and in vitro, whether the leaf of Salacia reticulata (SRL) can ameliorate
collagen antibody-induced
arthritis (CAIA) in mice as the
rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model. The mice were fed a
lard containing chow diet (AIN-93G) or the same diet containing 1% (w/w) SRL
powder. All mice were bred for 23 days. On day 7 or 14 after LPS injection, mice were killed, and tissue and blood samples were collected. Histological analysis was performed, and serum levels of inflammatory mediators and the
mRNA levels of
inflammation-related genes and osteoclast-related genes were measured. SRL treatment ameliorated the rapid initial paw swelling, inflammatory cells infiltration, skeletal tissues damage, osteoclast activation and the
mRNA levels for osteoclast-related genes compared with the CAIA mice. However, the serum and
mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators did not differ between the CAIA mice and the SRL-treated mice. SRL might reduce the inflammatory cells induction and skeletal tissue degradation by CAIA by the regulating osteoclastogenesis.