Antioxidant Effect of a Fucus vesiculosus Extract on Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats: A Biochemical and Histological Study

<i>Fucus vesiculosus</i> is a brown seaweed known for its strong antioxidant properties, mainly attributed to its high polyphenolic content. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant protective effect of an optimised <i>F. vesiculosus</i> extract in an experimental model of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, considering the intestine as particularly vulnerable to this pathology. Seventy-two male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into twelve groups: Sham, I/R groups (3 and 24 h reperfusion), I/R plus vehicle groups (three application times, 3 h reperfusion), and I/R plus <i>F. vesiculosus</i> extract groups (three application times, 3 and 24 h reperfusion). Intestinal injury was assessed through biochemical markers (malondialdehyde [MDA], superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], and mieloperoxidase [MPO]), inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1 β [IL-1β] and interleukin [IL-10]), and histological analysis. Results demonstrated that treatment with <i>F. vesiculosus</i> significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammation caused by I/R injury (<i>p</i> < 0.05), restoring analysed parameters (MDA, SOD, CAT, IL-10) to levels comparable to the Sham group. Histological examination confirmed the preservation of intestinal mucosal integrity following <i>F. vesiculosus</i> administration. These findings suggest that the antioxidant extract from <i>F. vesiculosus</i> effectively protects against intestinal I/R injury, highlighting its potential for clinical use in preventing and managing this pathological condition, particularly in surgical contexts.