Chronic administration of Abarema cochliacarpos attenuates colonic inflammation in rats

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases are characterized by a chronic clinical course of relapse and remission associated with self-destructive inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Active extracts from plants have emerged as natural potential candidates for its treatment. Abarema cochliacarpos (Gomes) Barneby & Grimes, Fabaceae (Barbatimão), is a native medicinal plant in to Brazil. Previously we have demonstrated in an acute colitis model a marked protective effect of a butanolic extract, so we decided to assess its anti-inflammatory effect in a chronic ulcerative colitis model induced by trinitrobenzensulfonic acid (TNBS). Abarema cochliacarpos (150 mg/day, v.o.) was administered for fourteen consecutive days. This treatment decreased significantly macroscopic damage as compared with TNBS. Histological analysis showed that the extract improved the microscopic structure. Myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) was significantly decreased. Study of cytokines showed that TNF-α was diminished and IL-10 level was increased after Abarema cochliacarpos treatment. In order to elucidate inflammatory mechanisms, expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were studied showing a significant downregulation. In addition, there was reduction in the JNK and p-38 activation. Finally, IκB degradation was blocked by Abarema cochliacarpos treatment being consistent with an up-regulation of the NF-kappaBbinding activity. These results reinforce the anti-inflammatory effects described previously suggesting that Abarema cochliacarpos could provide a source for the search for new anti-inflammatory compounds useful in ulcerative colitis treatment.

HPLC/HR‐MS‐Based Metabolite Profiling and Chemometrics: A Powerful Approach to Identify Bioactive Compounds from Abarema cochliacarpos

“…A. cochliacarpos bark is used in the traditional medicine to treat leucorrhea, uterine bleeding, inflammations, purulent wounds, vaginal irritation, and gastric ulcers. Additionally, A. cochliacarpos extracts possess a diverse range of biological activities such as antibacterial, [1] anti‐inflammatory, [2–5] antioxidant, [6,7] gastroprotective and ulcer‐healing [8] …”

Pharmacological and toxicological aspects of barbatimão (Abarema cochliacarpos (GOMES) Barneby & J.W. Grimes)

“…The authors showed that FB decreased the macroscopic damages compared with TNBS in Wistar rats; through histological analysis they noticed that there was an improvement in the microscopic structure and preserved some areas of the structure of the colonic mucosa. Another study (M Silva et al, 2011),. also with the FB of the methanolic extract of barbatimão (150 mg/kg) in Wistar rats used the same colitis induction model, showing an improvement in inflammation with a decrease in the lesion and healing induction, with a decrease in TNF-α and the increasing of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10).3.2.4.…”