Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a known medical burden in most developed countries and a significant cause of morbidity. The IBD label includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Pharmacological and surgical intervention are the two main management approaches for IBD. Some drugs have been developed for IBD therapy, but accessibility is limited due to high costs. Furthermore, these agents have demonstrated inactivity over long-term treatment courses. Therefore, an urgent need is present for new treatment options that are safe, able to sustain clinical remission, and improve mucosal gut healing. Seaweed has received much attention in the pharmacological field owing to its various biomedical properties, including the prolongation of blood clotting time, as well as antitumor, anti-inflammation, and antioxidant effects. This study therefore aimed to examine the effects of a dietary polysaccharide-rich extract obtained from Eucheuma cottonii (EC) on a model of colitis. Colitis was induced in male BALB/c mice by the administration of 2.5% (w/v) dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for 7 days. DSS-induced mice were treated with either one of three different doses of EC extracts (0.35, 0.70, and 1.75 g/kg body weight) or curcumin as a positive control (0.10 g/kg). Mice were sacrificed post-treatment and blood samples were collected. The disease activity index (DAI) and inflammatory cytokine levels (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10) were measured. After treatment for 7 days, EC extract administration protected against weight loss and decreased the colon weight per length ratio. EC extract administration also decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, increased IL-10 levels, and reduced colonic damage. Therefore, a dietary polysaccharide-rich extract from E. cottonii reduced DSS-induced bowel inflammation, thereby becoming a promising candidate for the treatment of colitis.
Highlights
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a designation that includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a known medical burden in most developed countries [1, 2]
Proximate analysis revealed that Eucheuma cottonii (EC) extract possessed high levels of carbohydrates (74.77 ± 1.15%) and ash (19.66 ± 0.16%), followed by proteins (2.88 ± 0.05%), moisture (1.44 ± 0.48%), and fat (1.26 ± 0.18%)
Colitis was characterized by colon shortening (Fig 4a and 4c) and increased colon weight/length ratios (Fig 4b), with EC extract or Curcumin treatment preventing this increase in colon weight
Summary
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a designation that includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a known medical burden in most developed countries [1, 2]. Increasing IBD prevalence has been observed in newly industrialized countries with large populations and rapid urbanization and westernization such as India and China. Pharmacological and surgical intervention are the two main treatment approaches for IBD [6]. Traditional therapeutic agents such as azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, and antibiotics are becoming more important in steroid-resistant and steroid-dependent patients [7]. Drugs such as corticosteroids, aminosalicylates, and immunosuppressants aim to decrease inflammation, but show limited efficacy for long-term remission and present significant side effects [8]. Natural products, including those with marine origins, have been investigated in order to identify potential candidates for the improvement of IBD clinical symptoms [9]
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