Panax notoginseng Attenuates Experimental Colitis in the Azoxymethane/Dextran Sulfate Sodium Mouse Model

Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease are at a high risk of developing colorectal cancer. To assess the anticancer potential of botanicals, in this study, we evaluated the effects of Panax notoginseng on azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis. One week after A/J mice received azoxymethane, the animals received DSS for 8 days or were supplemented with P .  notoginseng extract, at 30 or 90 mg/kg. DSS‐induced colitis was scored with the disease activity index. The severity of the inflammatory lesions was evaluated by a colon tissue histological assessment. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) were also explored. We observed that the effects of P .  notoginseng on the reduction of colon inflammation, expressed in disease activity index score, were in a dose‐related manner ( p  < 0.01). P .  notoginseng inhibited the reduction of the colon length and the loss of bodyweight in dose‐related manner (all p  < 0.05). The histological assessment of the colitis and inflammatory‐related immunohistochemical data also supported the pharmacological observations. Our data suggest that P .  notoginseng is a promising candidate in preventing and treating colitis and inflammation‐associated colon carcinogenesis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.