Insights into the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential of 3-Acetyl-11-keto-β-Boswellic Acid as a therapeutic approach in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Figures & data

Figure 1. Chemical structure of 3-Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA).

Figure 2. Diagrammatic illustration of signaling pathways and molecular targets of 3-Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) in rheumatoid arthritis. Abbreviations: AKBA: 3-Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic Acid; NF-κB: nuclear factor kappa B; IL: Interleukin; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-alpha; CD4: clusters of differentiation 4; RF: rheumatoid factors; APC: antigen-presenting cells; RANKL: receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand; PLA2: phospholipase A2; FLAP: 5-lipoxygenase activating protein; 5-LOX: 5-lipoxygenase; LT (A4, B4, C4, D4, E4): leukotriene (A4, B4, C4, D4, E4).

Table 1. 3-Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) loaded nanocarrier system for exploring its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential.

AKBA-loaded nanocarrier system	Route of administration	Activity explored	Significant outcomes	References
Nanogel	Topical	Anti-inflammatory	The results of in-vivo study demonstrated that the AKBA loaded nanogel showed 3-fold faster reduction in edema rate in rats in comparison to free AKBA gel after 12 h of treatment. The outcome of the study indicated the potential of AKBA.	[12]
Free AKBA and Methotrexate (MTX) dispersion	Oral (AKBA) and Intraperitoneal (MTX)	Anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic	10% AKBA at dose of 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg inhibited paw edema of 40.85% and 68.5% in comparison to 2% AKBA (40 mg/kg) and diclofenac (10 mg/kg) respectively. Also, 10% AKBA inhibited paw volume of 63.59% and 59.05% in combination with MTX at 20 and 40 mg/kg respectively in FCA (Freund’s complete adjuvant) induced animal model. These findings proved the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential of AKBA.	[4]
Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles	Oral	Anti-inflammatory activity	The pharmacokinetic study showed 6-fold increase in oral bioavailability of AKBA in case of AKBA loaded nanoparticles in comparison to free AKBA. The results of in-vivo animal study showed 1.67-fold higher percentage inhibition of edema in case of AKBA loaded nanoparticles than free AKBA after 5 h of treatment to carrageenan induced rat paw edema model. The results suggested that the AKBA is having anti-inflammatory property which makes it a potential candidate for the management of RA.	[13]
Polymeric nanomicelles	Topical	Anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic	The results of in-vivo carrageenan induced paw edema animal study demonstrated 81.1% inhibition of edema in case of AKBA loaded polymeric nanomicelles gel and 44.1% inhibition in case of free AKBA after 12 h of administration. Additionally, 2-fold higher inhibition of arthritis was achieved by AKBA loaded polymeric nanomicelles gel than free AKBA loaded gel in FCA induced arthritis animal model. The results suggested that the AKBA is having anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential which makes it a drug of choice for the management of RA.	[14]
Nanospanlastics	Topical	NA	The results of ex-vivo study of AKBA-loaded nanospanlastics showed 4-fold improved permeation through the skin in comparison to free AKBA gel. However, these topical formulations can be explored for the carrageenan induced paw edema model and FCA induced arthritis model to explore the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity of AKBA.	[15]

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