Beneficial Effects of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague on Rat Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Document Type : Original paper

Authors

1 Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

2 Medicinal Plants Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. Gastrointestinal Pharmacology Interest Group (GPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran. Toxicology and Diseases Group, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.

3 Food and Drug Organization, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran. Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

4 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Persian Medicine and Pharmacy Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

5 Medicinal Plants Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.

6 Medicinal Plants Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.Toxicology and Diseases Group, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.

7 Toxicology and Diseases Group, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.

8 Food and Drug Organization, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.

9 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Persian Medicine and Pharmacy Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and objective: Trachyspermum ammi (T. ammi) has been used for the treatment of various digestive disorders with considerable therapeutic effects such as anticholinergic and anti-oxidant activities.This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the hydro-alcoholic extract of the fruits of T. ammi in an experimental model of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods: The rats were classified into seven groups, including sham (no stress), control (saline recipients), loperamide and fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/day) (positive controls), and the plant groups at the doses of 150, 250 and 500 mg/kg/day for 5 days under restrictive stress, 2 days before receiving the treatment. All medicines were given as gavage. The effect of the plant extract on gastric emptying and the transit of the small intestine was evaluated. The levels of the inflammatory and oxidative related biomarkers, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and lipid peroxidation (LPO), also the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were measured. Results: The gastric emptying and the transit of the small intestine were significantly reduced in all T. ammi treated groups, and no significant difference was observed at the dose of 500 mg/kg/day compared with the loperamide group. The levels of TNF-α and MPO activities decreased in the treatment groups compared with the control, and the LPO level was decreased at the concentrations of 250 and 500 mg/kg/day compared to the control. The antioxidant levels significantly increased in the rats treated with T. ammi at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg/day. Conclusions: The severity of stress-induced IBS was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by the hydro-alcoholic extract of the fruits of T. ammi, confirming the effectiveness of this plant in the management of IBS.
 

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