Protective Effect of Aloe Vera Gel in Ulcerative Colitis: The Role of Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Factors

Anti-inflammatory compounds are effective in improving the symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aloe vera extract on the inflammatory factors affecting acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis.

32 male Wistar rats are divided in 4 groups of 8 including: control group, untreated colitis group, colitis group treated with aloe vera at a dose of 200 mg / kg and sulfasalazine group as a standard treatment drug at a dose of 500 mg /kg two days before induction of colitis and up to 5 days after induction of colitis. Experimental colitis was induced by intrarectal injection of 2 ml of 3% acetic acid in animals. Rats were sacrificed on the eighth day after induction of colitis and some factors involved in inflammation, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-10 And cyclooxygenase 2 (COX II) activity and PGE2 levels were measured in colon tissue.

Inflammation induced in colon  by acetic acid injection. Sulfasalazine and aloe vera reduced the inflammatory factor of tumor necrosis factor alpha and increased anti-inflammatory factor interleukin-10 in colon tissue. But there is no effect on the COX II and PGE2 levels in colon tissue.

These results suggest that aloe vera could possibly improve colitis by suppressing inflammatory promoting factors and increasing anti-inflammatory factors.