The impact of mangiferin from Belamcanda chinensis on experimental colitis in rats

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)] constitutes an important clinical problem. The pathogenesis of IBD remains unclear. It is believed that immune dysfunction, inflammatory mediators and oxidative damage play crucial roles in development of IBD. The condition is clinically associated with symptoms ranging from mild to severe during relapses, depending on the affected segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Bloody diarrhea with mucus, abdominal pain, weight loss and anemia are initial symptoms of both CD and UC. Differences between diseases become more evident in time, along with the development of intestinal and extraintestinal complications. Mangiferin (1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone-C-2-β-d-glucoside), a natural polyphenol in plants, exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects making it an interesting option for the treatment of inflammatory pathologies associated with oxidative stress in humans, such as IBD.

Mangiferin was obtained from Belamcanda chinensis rhizomes by a multistage process. Groups of rats were pre-treated with 10, 30 or 100 mg/kg of mangiferin, or with distilled water administered intragastrically for 16 days. An ethanol solution of TNBS or saline was given rectally on the day 15 of the experiment. The experiment was terminated on the day 17. The colon was removed, cleaned, weighed and examined macro- and microscopically. Determination of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 17 (IL-17), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were performed spectrophotometrically in homogenates of colon tissues.