Atividade anti-inflamatória intestinal do extrato hidroalcoólico de Spondias mombin L. em modelo de colite em ratos

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are chronic conditions of the gastrointestinal tract that affect patients' quality of life. Despite available treatments, side effects and relapses have hindered adherence. Spondias mombin L. (cajazeira) is a species widely used in folk medicine due to its anti-inflammatory action; however, records of its use in the treatment of IBD are still scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of Spondias mombin L. in a rat model of ulcerative colitis. To obtain the hydroalcoholic extract, a 22-factorial design was used to ensure the best extraction conditions, followed by the identification of the extract's major components through high-performance liquid chromatography. Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity was determined using the acute ulcerative colitis model caused by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS), followed by histopathological analysis of the tissues and evaluation of the effect of this extract on the contractility of intestinal segments. The best extraction conditions were obtained using the turboextraction technique and 10% of the plant drug. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography demonstrated the presence of quercetin in the extract, a flavonoid widely reported for this species. The hydroalcoholic extract of S. mombin L. at doses of 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg reduced the areas of damage by 86.82, 92.67, and 85.06%, respectively, when compared to the control, in addition to reducing score suggestions and the colon weight/length ratio. These results were confirmed by histopathological analysis. Regarding contractility, it was possible to identify that the extract was not able to alter the amplitude of duodenal contractions in relation to the basal percentage. However, at a concentration of 1000 µg/mL, it was able to reduce the response of the muscarinic agonist carbamylcholine to 53.7 ± 4.2% of the control contraction in the evaluated colons. Given the results, it was possible to conclude that the hydroalcoholic extract of S. mombin L. impairs the lesions caused by ulcerative colitis, highlighting the potential of the species to contribute in the future clinical management of inflammatory bowel diseases, in an attempt to ensure efficacy and safety for patients.