The Healing Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Carum copticum L. on Experimental Colitis in Rats

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease with indefinite treatment. The present study aimed to assess the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Carum copticum L. (CC) extract on induced colitis in rats. METHODS: Sixty male rats were randomly divided into six groups (n=10 per group). Acetic acid-induced colitis rats were orally administered with doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg CC extract, and 100 mg/kg sulfasalazine for seven consecutive days, respectively. Colonic biopsies were taken to measure histopathological parameters as well as the tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH). Data analysis was performed using the one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test for normally distributed data. Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn’s test was used for non-normally distributed data. The analysis was performed at P≤0.05 using SigmaStat software (version 10.0). RESULTS: The control colitis group had a significantly higher total colitis index (P=0.01), TNF-α (P=0.01), IL-6 (P=0.01), MPO (P=0.01), and MDA (P=0.01); and lower GSH (P=0.01) than those of the sham group. The colitis group receiving a dose of 200 mg/kg/day CC extract had a significantly lower total colitis index (P=0.01), TNF-α (P=0.01), IL-6 (P=0.01), MPO (P=0.01), and MDA (P=0.01); and higher GSH (P=0.01) than those of the control colitis group. The colitis group receiving a dose of 200 mg/kg/day CC extract had a significantly lower total colitis index (P=0.04), TNF-α (P=0.03), IL-6 (P=0.04), MPO (P=0.03), and MDA (P=0.03); and higher GSH (P=0.01) than those of the colitis group receiving sulfasalazine. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that CC extract had healing effects on colitis, possibly due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.