Open AccessDietary Dunaliella bardawil , a β‐carotene–rich alga, protects against acetic acid–induced small bowel inflammation in rats
Author(s) -
Lavy Alexandra,
Naveh Yehezkel,
Coleman Raymond,
Mokady Shoshana,
Werman Moshe J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
inflammatory bowel diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.932
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1536-4844
pISSN - 1078-0998
DOI - 10.1097/00054725-200311000-00005
Subject(s) - lamina propria , myeloperoxidase , edema , beta carotene , acetic acid , chemistry , antioxidant , inflammation , carotene , medicine , ileitis , histology , pathology , pharmacology , biology , biochemistry , epithelium , crohn's disease , food science , vitamin , disease
Background Reactive oxygen species mediate tissue injury in inflammatory bowel disease. β‐Carotene is known as a potent free radical quencher and antioxidant. Aim The authors evaluated the efficacy of prefeeding Dunaliella bardawil , rich in β‐carotene, to ameliorate acid‐induced enteritis in a rat model. Methods Enteritis was induced in female Sprague‐Dawley rats by injection of 2 mL acetic acid (0.67 mol/L) to a ligated duodenal loop following 10 weeks of feeding diets containing β‐carotene and compared with various controls. The effects of β‐carotene were evaluated by changes in myeloperoxidase activity, histology, and histomorphometry. Results Feeding β‐carotene resulted in suppressed mucosal myeloperoxidase activity, both basal and that induced by acetic acid injection. Acetic acid treatment induced major histopathologic changes in the duodenal mucosa, including small, irregular, and distorted villi; damage to the epithelium; edema of the lamina propria; accumulation of inflammatory cells; and hemorrhage. β‐Carotene treatment prevented these acid‐induced histopathologic changes, and this was confirmed by histomorphometry of the villi. Conclusions These results demonstrate the effectiveness of β‐carotene in a rat model as a prophylactic dietary measure in reducing the effects of acid‐induced enteritis and raise the possibility that patients with Crohn's disease may benefit from the consumption of natural β‐carotene.