Until now, several herbs, including ginger, lime, and guava, have shown benefits for rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis pain. Still, researchers said Spondias mombin could be another candidate to manage or even minimise uncomfortable symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
A new study indicated that extract of the Spondias mombin stem bark significantly reduced inflammation in rat paws because of its radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects. Its extract made with water had a stronger impact than its alcohol-based extract in its anti-arthritis properties.
In 2023, the researchers in the Journal of Pharmacy & Bioresources declared that its crude extract and the aqueous fraction neutralised the oxidative stress-generated radical scavenging activity and so its ability to ameliorate the associated symptoms.
The generation of oxidative stress during rheumatoid arthritis development damages synovial tissue in arthritic joints.
They suggested that the Spondias mombin stem bark exerted anti-inflammatory activity that can attenuate the sequelae of events that lead to the initiation and sustenance of rheumatoid arthritis.
Different types of arthritis can cause pain that may persist despite conventional therapies. Rheumatoid arthritis, a type of arthritis, affects about 1% of the population globally, with 70% of the people affected being women between the ages of 50.
Rheumatism is a chronic, progressive, disabling autoimmune disease characterised by systemic inflammation of joints, damaging cartilage and bone around the joints. It is a systemic disease, which means that it can affect the whole body and internal organs such as the lungs, heart, and eyes.
Numerous conventional medications are available for the management of rheumatoid arthritis. However, their usage is limited due to the associated side effects. As such, compliance with conventional therapies for its treatment is usually low.
Locally called Iyeye (Yorubas) and Uvuru (Igbo) by the native people of Nigeria, Spondias mombin or Hog plum is used in folkloric medicine for the treatments of urethritis, diarrhoea, and gonorrhoea. The bark of its tree contains chemical substances also useful for the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, haemorrhoids, and to arrest bleeding.
Admittedly, consuming certain herbs and spices throughout the day could also help to manage or even minimise the uncomfortable symptoms of arthritis. Researchers at the Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria, gave scientific evidence to support their use in the treatment of rheumatism by Amahor people of Edo State.
Spondias mombin is one of the medicinal plants used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The others are Dysphania ambrosioides, formerly Chenopodium ambrosioides, and Pterocarpus soyauxii.
Commonly called Indian wormseed, sweet pigweed, Mexican tea, and Jesuit’s tea, Chenopodium ambrosioides belongs to the plant family Chenopodiaceae. It is called ewe imí (leaf of excreter) in Yoruba.
Locally called gblhàin Abua, ídúòt in Anaang and akumá in Edo, Pterocarpus soyauxii or African coral wood, and it is used to treat wounds, skin diseases, ringworm, yaws, dysentery, toothache, dysmenorrhea, haemorrhoids, hernia, and whitlow. Leaves and young shoots are cooked and eaten as vegetables.
Dysphania ambrosioides is commonly called wormseed or Mexican tea but is locally referred to as “ewe imi” or arunpale in Yoruba and “Ebigben-suigben in Edo State. It is commonly believed to prevent flatulence. It has also been used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, worm infestation, typhoid, dysentery, abscesses, ulcers, purulent wounds, and diabetes.
Parts of Spondias mombin used to treat rheumatism were leaves, stem, bark, and root, which are prepared in different forms with the addition of other materials like native chalk and fresh palm fruits before administration.
The team of researchers in a study published in the International Journal of Plant Research stated that these plants contain different chemical substances that exert anti-inflammatory activity that can attenuate the events that lead to the initiation and sustenance of rheumatoid arthritis.
They said these are plants in the same family that have also been reported for the treatment and management of rheumatism by various researchers.
In 2010, a study reported that all parts of Ocimum basilicum (scent leaf), including the seed, can be boiled with mustard oil, and the prepared lotion is applied to joint pain for two to four days.
Other herbs mentioned by researchers as helpful in the treatment of rheumatism include Aframomum melegueta (Alligator pepper), Anacardium occidentale (Cashew), Alchornea floribunda (Christmas bush or Igi Oba), and ginger plant.
In one study, 70 patients with rheumatoid arthritis took either 1,500 milligrammes (mg) of ginger powder or a placebo for 12 weeks. Results of this research published in the journal Arthritis suggested that ginger may improve RA symptoms by affecting the expression of certain genes linked with rheumatoid arthritis.
Research on arthritis-induced rats that compared the effects of green tea and black tea on arthritis also found that green tea extract had superior ability to reduce inflammation, protect joints, and trigger changes in immune responses that would ease the severity of arthritis.
What is more, a study that had 70 women randomly assigned to take either 500 mg of garlic powder tablets twice a day or a placebo for eight weeks reported that those who took the garlic reported significantly lower pain intensity and fatigue scores.
There is no cure for arthritis. Still, researchers caution that due consideration is given to herbal remedies because they may interact with existing medications.
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