Bioactive composition and protective properties of Talium triangulare in dextran sodium sulphate-induced ulcerative colitis in rats

Abstract

The prevalence of ulcerative colitis (UC) is gradually becoming a global health challenge. Talinum triangulare, commonly called "waterleaf," (Tu ren shen in Chinese) is a plant that is cultivated in Asia, western Africa, and other tropical rainforest regions as a food and medicine plant. Due to its medicinal significance, Talium triangulare has been used in Chinese traditional medicines to treat various human diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effect of aqueous leaf extract of Talium triangulare (TT) on dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis. Exposure of rats to 5% DSS in drinking water induced colitis, and the effect of 200 mg/kg TT was studied over a 10-day period via oral administration. The effect of TT on anti-inflammatory, redox assays, clinical manifestations (disease activity index), and colonic mucosa histological changes was determined. DSS induced colonic inflammation in rats with a significant increase in NO, MPO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels compared to the untreated group. Oxidative stress was markedly increased in the DSS group with concomitant suppression of antioxidant enzymes activities. Exposure of rats to DSS causes lipid peroxidation with a marked increase in colonic level of malondialdehyde. Nevertheless, the administration of TT significantly suppressed inflammation in the colon by downregulating expression of the inflammatory indicators. TT suppressed the levels of MDA and H2O2 thus mitigating lipid peroxidation chain reaction. Furthermore, TT attenuated DSS-facilitated oxidative damage by improving the enzymatic activities of the protective enzymes (CAT, GST, and SOD) and increasing GSH level. TT enhanced the antioxidant enzymes activities, attenuated oxidative stress, suppressed lipid peroxidation, inhibited inflammation, and reduced DAI score. These beneficial activities of TT could be attributed to its phytoconstituents depicted in GCMS results. The results of this research indicated that TT could contain therapeutic agents for the treatment of inflammatory colitis.