Evaluating the potential therapeutic effect of Rosa damascena Mill. essential oil on acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in rats

Objectives In this study, Rosa damascena Mill. essential oil (RDEO) was aimed to evaluate its potential anti-inflammatory and mitochondria-mediated anti-apoptotic effects in vitro and in vivo in acetic acid (AA)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) rat model. Methods In the UC rat model, RDEO (100 μL/kg, p.o.) or sulfasalazine (100 mg/kg/p.o.) was administered to the treatment groups. After decapitation, the UC activity index, colon mass index, and macroscopic and microscopic damages were determined in rat colon tissue. TNF-α levels and MPO activity were measured to evaluate the effect of the inflammation in the colon. Changes in the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, casp-3, and casp-9 proteins, which are indicators of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis were determined by the Western blot method. Results Our study results revealed that AA-induction caused a significant increase in colitis activity index (CAI), colon mass index (CMI), and macroscopic and microscopic damages in rat colon tissue. It shows that RDEO treatment has an effective curative effect by reducing AA-induced inflammation (TNF-α and MPO activity), CAI, CMI, pro-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2, Bax, Casp-3, and Casp-9), and morphological damages in rat colon tissue. Conclusions All these results suggest that RDEO may have suppressed changes in colon tissue due to its ability to reduce AA-induced inflammation and apoptosis. The results of this study showed that RDEO was beneficial in UC and, like other herbal anti-inflammatory agents, RDEO did not cause gastrointestinal side effects.