Method for treatment of cartilage disorders with centella extract

Abstract

The invention is a method for the treatment of mammalian articular cartilage disorders, inflammatory joint disease, trauma-related cartilage injuries, and degenerative disc disease. The method involves treating the affected area with a composition containing a therapeutically effective dose of Centella extract. The composition is delivered locally by parenteral administration to the affected site.

1 . A composition for the treatment of cartilage disorders in mammals, comprising: 
 an extract of  Centella ; and,    a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.    
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the extract comprises a member selected from the group consisting of astiatic acid, madecassic acid, asiaticoside, and triterpenes.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising about 0.001 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of  Centella.    
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising about 0.01 wt. % to about 1 wt. % of  Centella.    
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the  Centella  comprises about 0.001 wt. % to about 0.5 wt. % of astiatic acid, madecassic acid, asiaticoside, and triterpenes.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the  Centella  comprises about 0.005 wt. % to about 0.2 wt. % of astiatic acid, madecassic acid, asiaticoside, and triterpenes.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier comprises a carrier selected from the group consisting of sterile water, sterile saline solution, albumin, gelatin, collagen, polysaccharide, monosaccharides, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polymeric amino acids, fixed oils, ethyl oleate, liposomes, glucose, sucrose, lactose, mannose, dextrose, dextran, cellulose, mannitol, sorbitol, polyethylene glycol, isopropyl alcohol, gaseous fluorocarbons, ethyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, propylene glycol, glycerine, gel-producing materials, stearyl alcohol, stearic acid, spermaceti, sorbitan monooleate, and methylcellulose.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier comprises a colloidal dispersion system.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 8 , wherein the colloidal dispersion system comprises a system selected from the group consisting of nanocapsules, microspheres, beads, and lipid-based systems.  
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 9 , wherein the lipid based system comprises a system selected from the group consisting of oil-in-water emulsions, micelles, mixed micelles, and liposomes.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises a carrier selected from the group consisting of biodegradable hydrogel matrices, dendritic polymer conjugates, hyaluronic acid, and multivesicular liposomes.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a pharmaceutically active agent.  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the pharmaceutically active agent comprises an agent selected from the group consisting of analgesics, anti-inflammatory compounds, muscle relaxants, anti-depressants, anti-viral, antibiotic, anesthetic, and cytostatic compounds.  
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the analgesics comprise acetaminophen or ibuprofen.  
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the anti-inflammatory compounds comprise compounds selected from the group consisting of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), prostaglandins, choline magnesium salicylate, salicyclic acid, corticosteroids, methylprednisone, prednisone, and cortisone.  
     
     
         16 . A method of treating mammalian articular cartilage disorders, said method comprising: 
 administering a therapeutically effective amount of a parenteral composition, said composition comprising:    an extract of  Centella  and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,    wherein the composition is administered to an affected site having mammalian articular cartilage disorder.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the articular cartilage disorder is selected from the group consisting of osteoarthritis, inflammatory joint disease, trauma related cartilage injury, and degenerative disc disease.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the carrier is selected from the group consisting of sterile water, sterile saline solution, albumin, gelatin, collagen, polysaccharide, monosaccharides, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polymeric amino acids, fixed oils, ethyl oleate, liposomes, glucose, sucrose, lactose, mannose, dextrose, dextran, cellulose, mannitol, sorbitol, polyethylene glycol, isopropyl alcohol, gaseous fluorocarbons, ethyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, propylene glycol, glycerine, gel-producing material, stearyl alcohol, stearic acid, spermaceti, sorbitan monooleate, and methylcellulose.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the carrier comprises a colloidal dispersion system.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the colloidal dispersion system comprises a system selected from the group consisting of nanocapsules, microspheres, beads, lipid-based systems, oil-in-water emulsions, micelles, mixed micelles, and liposomes.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the carrier comprises a carrier selected from the group consisting of biodegradable hydrogel matrices, dendritic polymer conjugates, hyaluronic acid, and multivesicular liposomes.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the composition also contains a solubilizing compound.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the solubilizing compound is an amino acid compound selected from the group consisting of alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the parenteral administration is selected from the group consisting of intra-articularly, intracisternally, intraocularly, intraventricularly, intrathecally, intravenously, intramuscularly, intra-peritoneally, intradermally, and intratracheally.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the parenteral administration is intra-articularly into the synovial tissues.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the parenteral administration is delivered intermittently.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the parenteral administration is delivered continuously.