Anti-arthritic effect and subacute toxicological evaluation of Baccharis genistelloides aqueous extract

This work studies the potential subacute toxicological effects of the aqueous extract of Baccharis genistelloides (AEBg) and demonstrates a new anti-arthritic therapeutic effect. The treatment of the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) group with 4.2 mg/kg AEBg induced an important decrease (75%) in CIA severity in all animals, while the 42 mg/kg dose treated only 50% of animals. After AEBg treatment, no significant differences were observed in body weight, aspect, color and relative weight of liver, kidneys, thymus or lungs between CIA groups. CIA and healthy AEBg groups treated with both doses did not show genotoxic effects to liver and kidney cells by the Comet assay, compared to its own control group. The augmented AST in the CIA group, compared to healthy control one was regularized by the AEBg treatment with 4.2 mg/kg but not with 42 mg/kg. No other significant difference was found on serum biochemical parameters, as well as on spontaneous or stimulated lymphocyte proliferation between CIA groups. The treatment of healthy animals with AEBg 4.2 mg/kg did not change the aspect, color or relative weight of kidneys, liver or lungs but reduced the body weight, the thymus and popliteal lymph node (PLN) relative weight and serum glucose and triglyceride levels. Concluding, our results indicate an anti-arthritic effects of AEBg without liver and kidney subacute toxicity and hypoglycemic and hypotriglyceridemic actions on healthy animals.