Exploration of molecular interactions responsible for anti-inflammatory attributes of GI friendly micro-sized formulation of flurbiprofen and clove oil

Clove oil obtained from Syzygium aromaticum (L.) is traditionally employed to treat inflammation associated with rheumatism, gastric disorders, and as an analgesic. Chemo-herbal combinations are known to have potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, while mitigating the drug related side effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects of a combination of flurbiprofen and clove oil in a micro-emulsion (FCM) form using various in vivo models. Micro-emulsion of flurbiprofen and clove oil (FCM) was prepared following reported protocols and three different dose combinations (25, 12.5 and 6.25 mg/kg) were evaluated in carrageenan and histamine-induced acute inflammation, CFA-induced arthritis, yeast-induced pyrexia, and acetic acid-induced writhing models. qPCR studies were conducted to explore the possible mechanism of action. GC-MS of clove oil was performed to explore its chemical composition. FCM 25 mg/kg treated group exhibited significantly better (p