Therapeutic Effects of Aloe saponaria against Ulcerative Colitis Induced by Dextran Sulfate Sodium

Abstract

Aloe vera (A. vera) has been studied as a treatment option for ulcerative colitis (UC), but there is a lack of scientific evidence showing whether treatment with Aloe saponaria (A. saponaria) can also be beneficial. To investigate the therapeutic potential of A. saponaria as a treatment for UC, clinical symptoms, histopathological characteristics of the colon, inflammatory response, and toxicity were analyzed in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mice after administration of aqueous extracts of A. saponaria (AAS) for 7 days. The total polyphenol and tannin content of AAS was 272 µg/g and 163 µg/g, respectively. AAS exhibited significant antioxidant activity. Several clinical symptoms, including body weight, colon length, and hematochezia, remarkably improved in the DSS+AAS treated group compared to the DSS+Vehicle-treated group. In addition, similar improvements were detected in the histopathological characteristics and mucin-secreting ability in the colon of DSS-induced UC mice after the administration of AAS. The levels of infiltrated inflammatory cells and cytokine expression were significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in the colon of the DSS+AAS-treated group. These alterations in inflammatory response were accompanied by a significant recovery of the protein kinase C/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (PKC/ERK) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/serine-threonine protein kinase (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathways. However, the levels of key markers for hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity consistently remained between those of the DSS+AAS-treated and the No groups. Therefore, the results of the present study provide novel evidence that AAS may improve the clinical symptoms and attenuate the inflammatory response in DSS-induced UC mice and does not have any significant hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity.

Aloe-derived nanovesicles attenuate inflammation and enhance tight junction proteins for acute colitis treatment

“…Therefore, aloe-derived nanovesicles can be effective prophylactic and therapeutic agents for IBD treatment. A study is now under way to identify components and ingredients 57,58 that contribute to leveraging therapeutic potentials of aloe-derived nanovesicles in IBD.…”

Bioactives and Inflammation

“…Kweon et al revealed that aquatic Aloe saponaria (AAS) extract displays significant antioxidant activities and can greatly regulate the inflammatory response. In dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis mice, AAS extract significantly restored the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/serine-threonine protein kinase (PI3K/Akt) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/serine-threonine protein kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathways [5].…”