Protective role of polysaccharide from the roots of <i>Millettia speciosa</i> Champ in mice with ulcerative colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium

This study investigated the therapeutic mechanism of Millettia Speciosa Champ. polysaccharide (MSCP), also known as Niu Dali polysaccharide, in treating ulcerative colitis (UC) using a dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) induced colitis model in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were randomly assigned to four groups: control, DSS model, and low- and high-dose MSCP treatment groups (50, 100 mg/kg/day, respectively). MSCP administration began concurrently with DSS induction. Throughout the intervention, changes in body weight and disease activity index were monitored. On day 44, colonic tissues were collected for analysis after measuring their lengths. Results demonstrated that MSCP effectively ameliorated DSS-induced chronic colitis by suppressing proinflammatory cytokine secretion, enhancing anti-inflammatory cytokine production, restoring intestinal epithelial barrier integrity, and downregulating TLR4 expression.