Hylocerus polyrhizus ameliorates acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis associated with modulation of TNF-α and oxidative stress markers

INTRODUCTION The chronic inflammatory bowel condition ulcerative colitis (UC) features ongoing irritation of the mucosa, oxidative damage, and an abnormal immune response. Although many treatments exist, managing UC over a long period is difficult. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) uses medicines derived from natural sources that have several targets to help bring balance to the intestine e.g. Qing-dai or Plantain extract. The fruit “Huo long guo”, botanical name Hylocereus polyrhizus, has medicinal properties and has been used in traditional systems as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. This experiment examined whether Hylocereus polyrhizus protects against experimental UC. METHODS UC was induced using the intracellular acetic acid approach (4% v/v) in male Wistar rats. The rats then received treatment for 8 consecutive days via the oral route with HPFE (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) or Sulfasalazine (100 mg/kg). The severity of the disease was assessed using techniques that included measuring the weight/length ratio of the colon, performing a macroscopic score and a histopathologic score, and measuring the levels of oxidative stress markers (MPO, MDA, CAT, GSH) and serum TNF-α levels. RESULTS Dosing HPFE treatment can reduce colonic injury in a dose-dependent way substantially by decreasing the weight-to-length ratio of the colon, TNF-alpha, MPO, and MDA levels, and restoring the activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT and GSH) compared to disease control. Histopathological changes in treated groups included improvements in mucosal architecture and decreased inflammation. CONCLUSION HPFE exhibited significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; TNF-α and oxidant overload have been implicated in these responses; however, the evidence is purely biochemical, and there is no clear evidence of a specific molecular mechanism supporting this idea. This research indicates that HPFE has therapeutic potential in UC and supports further exploration to isolate and characterize the active constituents.