Hydroalcoholic extract of Brazilian red propolis exerts protective effects on acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in a rodent model

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a common intestinal inflammatory disease with an etiology that is not well understood. Although the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of Brazilian red propolis (HERP) have been reported in various experimental models, its protective effect in models of UC have not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the chemopreventive effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Brazilian red propolis (HERP) in acetic acid-induced colitis (AAIC) using a rodent model. The HERP was chemically characterised by HPLC/DAD analyses. Male rats were randomly assigned into four groups: sham, vehicle (with AAIC, treated with vehicle), P10 (with AAIC, treated with 10 mg/kg HERP), and P100 (with AAIC, treated with 100 mg/kg HERP). Treatments were performed for 7 days, and colitis was induced on day seven. Animals were euthanized 24 h after colitis induction and body weight, colon length, gross and histological scores, malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentrations in colon tissue, and the immunohistochemical expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were assessed. The major compounds found in HERP were liquiritigenin (68.8 mg/g), formononetin (54.29 mg/g), biochanin A (30.97 mg/g), and daidzein (19.90 mg/g). Rats treated with 10 mg/kg HERP demonstrated significant decreases in MPO concentrations, gross and histological scores of tissue damage, and iNOS expression (p < 0.05). Similarly, rats treated with 100 mg/kg HERP demonstrated significant decreases in MPO levels (p < 0.05) and histological scores of tissue damage (p < 0.05). The results of this study indicate that oral administration of HERP attenuates AAIC in rats, which may be due to anti-inflammatory effects related to iNOS inhibition.

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