Combination anti-inflammatory therapy: synergism in rats of NSAIDs/corticosteroids with some herbal/animal products.

A useful function of any complementary medicine is to supplement some of the benefits from other treatment modalities. In rats, extracts from Indian celery seed and the NZ green-lipped mussel are powerful nutraceuticals that (i) amplify the potency of salicylates and prednisone for treating pre-established chronic inflammation (arthritis, fibrosis) and (ii) reduce the steroid's gastrotoxic and lymphopenic side effects. Such combinations might also be useful for treating inflammatory components of (a) osteoarthritis caused by microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (BCP) and (b) pseudo-gout, associated with calcium pyrophosphate crystals; that are usually refractory to monotherapy.