Effect of marine mangrove Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh against acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in experimental mice.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are two conditions that have many features in common and are referred as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Patients with IBD are predisposed to colorectal cancer. This investigation evaluates the effect of marine mangrove Avicennia marina against acetic acid-induced colitis. The treatment of A marina extract significantly decreased the colonic lipid peroxides, glutathione peroxidase, and serum nitric oxide and significantly increased the colonic and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels compared with colitis control. In addition, A marina extract significantly decreased the lesion score and wet colon weight compared with colitis control. Treatment with A marina extract reflects its therapeutic activity against UC by minimal damage of colonic epithelial cells compared with colitis control during histopathologic examination. These protective role of A marina extract against UC could be attributed to the presence of higher levels of decanoic acid, diethylhydroxylamine (DEHA), pentanoic acid, pyrrolidine, 4-chlorophenyl, thiazolidinones, and arabinopyranoside (flavonoid). These findings suggest that A marina extract could be useful as a potential (natural) therapeutic agent for IBD.