Dandelion (DA) possesses the therapeutic ability to eliminate heat and alleviating swelling, choleresis, dieresis, and inflammation. In order to investigate the anti-arthritic effect of DA, several behavioral parameters such as paw volume, squeaking score, and weight distribution ratio were investigated in a carrageenan-induced arthritis rat model. At the maximum severity of arthritis, the daily administration of DA was initiated and lasted for 9 days. The therapeutic effects of DA were observed on 9th day after the arthritis induction, as compared to saline-treated control group. Oral administration of DA significantly alleviated apparent symptoms of paw volume, squeaking score, and weight distribution ratio in rats. In conclusion, DA was found to be effective in alleviating the inflammatory response and thus arthritic symptoms in carrageenan-induced arthritic rats.

Keywords: dandelion, arthritis, carrageenan, paw volume, squeaking score, weight distribution ratio