On the benefit of Teucrium in murine colitis through improvement of toxic inflammatory mediators

• Published in: Human & experimental toxicology 2010-04, Vol.29 (4), p.287-295
• Main Authors: Abdolghaffari, Amir Hossein, Baghaei, Amir, Moayer, Fariborz, Esmaily, Hadi, Baeeri, Maryam, Monsef-Esfahani, Hamid Reza, Hajiaghaee, Reza, Abdollahi, Mohammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Bowel disease; Colitis - chemically induced; Colitis - drug therapy; Colitis - immunology; Colitis - pathology; Colon - drug effects; Colon - immunology; Colon - pathology; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gastrointestinal Agents - pharmacology; General pharmacology; Immunology; Inflammation Mediators - metabolism; Inflammatory diseases; Interleukin-1beta - metabolism; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Male; Medical sciences; Other diseases. Semiology; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Peroxidase - metabolism; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Components, Aerial; Plant Preparations - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Teucrium; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances - metabolism; Time Factors; Toxicology; Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 0960-3271; 1477-0903
• DOI: 10.1177/0960327110361754

Regarding the role of free radicals in pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we were interested to investigate the effects of Teucrium persicum with approved antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in an experimental model of colitis. Immunologic colitis was induced by rectal administration of a mixture of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) and ethanol through rubber cannula into rats. Three different doses of Teucrium (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) were gavaged in a duration of 10 days to rats. Endpoint markers of colitis included macroscopic and microscopic examination of colon tissue and measuring colonic cells concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interlukin-1β (IL-1β), total antioxidant power as ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and lipid peroxidation as thiobarbitoric acid-reactive substance (TBARS). Teucrium at all doses improved both macroscopic and histological damages of rats with colitis. Teucrium reduced colonic MPO activity and concentrations of cellular lipid peroxides, TNF-α, and IL-1β, with a concomitant increase in FRAP value in rats with colitis. It is concluded that beneficial effects of Teucrium in experimental colitis is mediated through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials. Examination of this herbal medicine in patients with IBD as a supplement would further reveal the potential of Teucrium.