The present study was designed to investigate the potential therapeutic effect of trikatu, an herbal compound and its underlying molecular mechanism in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). Our results indicate that trikatu (1000 mg/kg/b.wt. oral) administration suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1) and downregulated the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, MCP-1, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)) and transcription factors (nuclear factor kappa B 65 (NFкB-p65) and activator protein-1 (AP-1)) in cultured AIA-fibroblast like synoviocytes and synovial tissue of AIA rats. Consistently, the protein expression of NFкB-p65, IL-17, TNF-α, COX-2, and RANKL was also dramatically reduced in cultured AIA-fibroblast like synoviocytes and synovial tissue of AIA rats by trikatu treatment. In addition, trikatu suppressed the expression and phosphorylation of NFкB-p65 similar to the Bay 11–7082 (NFкB inhibitor) in cultured AIA-fibroblast like synoviocytes. Furthermore, trikatu alleviated the histopathology of joint of arthritic rats. Overall, these data highlights that trikatu could be a promising alternative modality for the possible treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd