Usage of alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and
medicinal herbs, are on the rise since there are risks andlimitations associated with commonly used NSAID group
of drugs. According to Ahmed et al. (2005), 60–90 % of
OA patients are reported to seek treatment with complementary
and alternative medicine (CAM). Many herbal
drugs have been investigated for their utility in the treatment
of OA and also found to be safe. Curcuma longa, one
of the herbal preparations, is shown to be effective in the
management of OA (Khanna et al. 2007). Curcuminoids, a
component of Curcuma longa, has been extensively studied
for the treatment of different types of arthritis (Jurenka
2009). However, there are no reports on anti-inflammatory
and analgesic activity of polar fraction especially polysaccharides
containing Curcuma longa extract.