TO INVESTIGATE THE POTENTIAL OF AERIAL ROOTS OF FICUS BENGHALENSIS IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD) IN DRUG-INDUCED RATS

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by mucosal damage, oxidative stress, and excessive inflammatory responses. The present study was undertaken to investigate the therapeutic potential of the ethanolic extract of aerial roots of Ficus benghalensis against indomethacin-induced inflammatory bowel disease in rats. The aerial roots were subjected to Soxhlet extraction using ethanol, yielding a dark brown semi-solid extract with a percentage yield of approximately 25%. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, proteins, and terpenoids. Experimental IBD was induced by indomethacin administration, resulting in significant pathological alterations, including body weight loss, reduction in colon length, increased colon weight, elevated macroscopic lesion scores, and enhanced myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, indicating severe intestinal inflammation. Treatment with the ethanolic extract at low and high doses significantly attenuated these disease-associated changes in a dose-dependent manner. The high-dose extract demonstrated marked improvement in body weight, restoration of colon morphology, reduction in colon edema and lesion severity, and significant suppression of MPO activity when compared with the disease control group. The therapeutic effects observed were comparable to those produced by the standard drug prednisolone. The protective activity of the extract may be attributed to the synergistic action of its bioactive phytoconstituents, particularly flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins, which are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and mucosal protective properties. The findings suggest that the aerial root extract of Ficus benghalensis possesses significant anti-inflammatory and intestinal protective effects and may serve as a promising natural therapeutic candidate for the management of inflammatory bowel disease. Further studies are warranted to isolate the active constituents and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.