Chemoprevention with a tea from hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) leaves and flowers attenuates colitis in rats by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress

Roberto de Paula do Nascimento; Ana Paula da Fonseca Machado; Verena Silva Lima; Amanda Maria Tomazini Munhoz Moya; Lívia Mateus Reguengo; Stanislau Bogusz Junior; Raquel Franco Leal; Phu Cao-Ngoc; Jean Christophe Rossi; Laurent Leclercq; Hervé Cottet; Cinthia Baú Betim Cazarin; Mario Roberto Marostica Junior

doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2021.100139

Chemoprevention with a tea from hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) leaves and flowers attenuates colitis in rats by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress

Food Chem X. 2021 Oct 7:12:100139. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2021.100139. eCollection 2021 Dec 30.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
² Institute of Health and Biotechnology, Federal University of Amazonas, Coari, Amazonas, Brazil.
³ Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁴ IBD Research Laboratory, Colorectal Surgery Unit, Surgery Dept, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ IBMM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a tea from the leaves and flowers of Crataegus oxyacantha in rats with colitis. Colitis was induced by administration of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid. Hawthorn tea (HT) (100 mg/kg) was given via gavage for 21 days and the mesalamine drug (100 mg/kg) was administrated during the period of disease onset. HT was rich in total phenolic compounds (16.5%), flavonoids (1.8%), and proanthocyanidins (1.5%); vitexin-2-O-rhamnoside was the main compound detected. Mesalamine and the HT diminished the length of the lesions formed in the colon, in addition to reducing the levels of myeloperoxidase and interleukin-1β. Mesalamine was able to significantly reverse the body weight loss, while HT improved the activity of glutathione reductase and catalase. Histological scoring was not changed by the interventions, but it was highly correlated with the necrotic area. HT given at 100 mg/kg can be effective against colitis.