The present investigation aims to elucidate the possible protective effect of flavonoid rich methanolic extract of S. scaphigera in acetic acid induced ulcerative colitis in male wistar rats. Male wistar rats were divided into various treatment groups. The animals were administered 2 ml of acetic acid (4% v/v) via intrarectal route to induce colitis. Prednisolone (2 mg/kg, p. o.) was used as a standard drug and S. scaphigera was administered at a dose of 100 and 300 mg/kg, p. o. macroscopic scoring, relative organ weight, colonic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation levels (LPO) and histopathological changes were recorded after the treatment regimen of 11 days. Intrarectal instillation of acetic acid caused significant (p<0.05) increase in relative organ weight and LPO levels and significant (p<0.05) decrease in the levels of SOD, CAT and GSH levels. Histopathological changes in the colonic tissue were noted as transmural necrosis, edema and diffuse inflammatory cell, infiltration in the mucosa and loss of epithelium. Pretreatment with S. scaphigera (100, 300 mg/kg, p. o.) exhibited significant (p<0.05) reversal of all the above biochemical parameters and significantly reversed the histopathological changes induced by acetic acid treatment. The present investigation demonstrated the potent therapeutic value of S. scaphigera (100 and 300 mg/kg, p. o.) in the amelioration of experimental colitis in rats. The beneficial effects of S. scaphigera could be attributed to its antioxidant effect.
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