Mespilus germanica L. Fruit Extract Migitates Experimental Colitis by Modulating Inflammation and Apoptosis in Rats

Abstract Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the rectum and colon. Considering side effects of current medications and patient population unresponsive to these drugs, maintaining disease remission with novel natural dietary compounds appears to be a critical therapeutic strategy. This study aimed to investigate antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic effects of Mespilus germanica (MG) fruit in an acetic acid-induced colitis model in rats for the first time. Forty-eight male Wistar albino rats divided into six groups ( n = 8): control (saline), acetic acid (AA)+saline, AA + 100 mg/kg/day MG, AA + 300 mg/kg/day MG, AA + 1000 mg/kg/day MG, and AA + 100 mg/kg/day sulfasalazine. All treatments were administered by oral gavage over three days. Colonic tissue samples underwent macroscopic, biochemical, and histopathological analysis. Myeloperoxidase, lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione levels indicated that MG fruit extract lacked antioxidant properties. These findings were consistent with the extract’s low in vitro antioxidant activity. Levels of Na/K-ATPase, Toll-like receptor-9, matrix metalloproteinase-3, caspase-3 and − 9 were elevated in colitis group compared to control and decreased in MG groups. These findings support the notion that MG may contribute to the preservation of epithelial integrity through modulation of apoptosis-related pathways. TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-17, which were higher in AA group than the control, showed significant reductions in MG groups compared to colitis group. MG reduce inflammation in rats with ulcerative colitis. AA-induced ulcerative colitis in rats was associated with edema, mucosal ulceration, the infiltration of inflammatory cells, a substantial increase in ulcer index and loss of mucosal glandular crypts. All treatments significantly reduced macroscopic and microscopic ulceration scores in colitis group. Current results suggest that MG treatment has potential to reduce disease activity by inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis and improving histological structure of colonic tissues.