The
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic, immune-mediated and chronic intestinal condition. In the present study, the effect of
Setarud (
IMOD), a novel natural drug with known immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties was investigated in experimental
colitis in rats and compared with the
dexamethasone and
infliximab. Immunologic
colitis was induced by intracolonic administration of a mixture of trinitrobenzene
sulfonic acid (TNBS) and absolute
ethanol in male Wistar rats. Animals were divided into 6 groups of
sham (normal group), control (vehicle-treated), positive control (
dexamethasone 1 mg/kg/day given orally and
infliximab 5 mg/kg/day given subcutaneously) and 3
Setarud-treated groups (13.3, 20, 30 mg/kg/day given intraperitoneally). The treatment continued for 14 consecutive days and then animals were decapitated on the day 15 and distal colons were removed for macroscopic, microscopic, and biochemical assays.
Biochemical markers, including
TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, ferric reducing/
antioxidant power (FRAP),
myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and thiobarbitoric
acid-reactive substance (
TBARS) were measured in the homogenate of colonic tissue. A remarkable reduction in macroscopic and histological damage scores was observed in the animals treated with
Setarud. These findings were confirmed by decreased levels of
TNF-alpha,
interleukin-1beta, MPO activity and
TBARS, and raised levels of FRAP in the colon tissue. These observations confirmed the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties of
Setarud in experimental
colitis, which was comparable to those of
dexamethasone and
infliximab.