Med. Weter. 82 (1), 40-48, 2026
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| FATMA AMIRA HANI, LYNDA AINOUZ, SAMIA HADJ RABIA, WAFA ZAHNIT, OUAHIBA ZENAD, SOFIANE BOUDJELLABA, DJAMEL KHELEF, MOHAMED ZAOUANI, NORA MIMOUNE |
| In Vivo Effects of Punica Granatum against Ulcerative Colitis, Nephroprotection, Inflammation and Acute Oral Toxicity |
| This investigation was conducted to determine the potential of Punica granatum as a protective treatment for ulcerative colitis and for nephroprotection. The aqueous extract of Punica granatum peel (APPE) was subjected to phytochemical examination by qualitative and quantitative techniques. Sulfasalazine at a dose of 600 mg/kg and APPE at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg were orally administrated to male Wistar rats during 21 days. On day 17, the rats were transrectally given acetic acid to induce ulcerative colitis. A comparative analysis was conducted using a positive control group with colitis and a negative control group without colitis. Colon macroscopic damage, ulcer index, oxidative stress markers, histological investigation, and anti-inflammatory factors were evaluated. Nephroprotective activity was investigated in an animal model of sulfasalazine-induced kidney damage. The phytochemical analysis of APPE revealed the presence of various bioactive compounds, and the HPLC-UV profile of APPE revealed an important content of polyphenolic compounds, such as resveratrol (552.17 μg/ml), chlorogenic acid (376.15 μg/ml), and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (329.00 μg/ml). The results obtained show that APPE exhibited activity against ulcerative colitis by significantly modulating antioxidant defense mechanisms, namely superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH), in the colon tissues of APPE-treated groups in comparison with the positive group. The histopathological assessment showed a notable decrease in microscopic damage in groups receiving sulfasalazine and APPE at 400 mg/kg, which facilitated mucosal healing and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. The examination of the kidneys revealed histopathological changes confirmed by tubulointerstitial necrosis. Nevertheless, the biochemical parameters were substantially improved in rats pre-treated with graded oral doses of the extract in a dose-related manner. The extract provided the most effective nephroprotection at 400 mg/kg/day. It would be interesting to conduct further tests in the use of APPE extracts as a pre-treatment for ulcerative colitis and nephropathy. |
| Keywords: Punica granatum, oxidative stress; acute toxicity, ulcerative colitis, nephroprotection. |