Inflammatory bowel disease imposes significant healthcare burdens, driving the search for natural therapeutic agents. This study investigated the protective effects of insect gall Methanol extract from Picea koraiensis Nakai (PK) against colitis. Using in vitro (H2O2-induced IEC-6 enterocytes) and in vivo (DSS-induced murine colitis) models, we assessed PK's impact on oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. In vitro, PK (0.6 mg/mL) significantly enhanced cell viability (∼40%) and key antioxidant enzyme activities, while reducing oxidative markers (MDA, LDH, ROS) by over 50%. It also suppressed apoptosis via caspase-3/9 inhibition and activated the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. In vivo, PK ameliorated colitis severity, improved histopathology. Transcriptomic and molecular analyses confirmed the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and inhibition of p53/p38-mediated apoptosis in colonic tissue. In conclusion, PK exhibits multimodal protection against colitis by alleviating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, primarily via Nrf2/HO-1 activation. Future studies should focus on its pharmacokinetics and long-term safety.
Huang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.