Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Effects of Vaalai Rasa Mezhugu in Rodent Model

Abstract

Inflammation and pain are major contributors to morbidity worldwide, and the long-term use of conventional anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs is often limited due to their associated adverse effects. Siddha medicine employs herbo-mineral formulations such as Vaalai Rasa Mezhugu (VRM), traditionally used for inflammatory and painful conditions, which require scientific validation. The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of VRM using experimental animal models. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using the carrageenan-induced paw edema model in rats, while analgesic activity was evaluated using Eddy’s hot plate method in mice. VRM produced a dose-dependent inhibition of paw edema, with the high dose showing a maximum inhibition of 64.62% at the 5th hour, comparable to indomethacin (65.33%), with statistical significance from the 1st hour onward (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). In mice, VRM significantly increased pain reaction time, with a maximum analgesic increase of 34.76% at 30 minutes (p < 0.01). These findings demonstrate that VRM possesses significant dose-dependent anti-inflammatory and central analgesic activities, supporting its traditional use and integration into evidence-based medicine.