Use of Cordia dichotoma bark in the treatment of ulcerative colitis

Figures & data

Table 1.  Histopathological observations after treatment with fractions (50 mg/kg, p.o.) and crude methanol extract (500 mg/kg, p.o.) of C. dichotoma bark.

Treatment/parameter	Ulceration	Hyperemia	Hemorrhages	DME	IN (cells/hpf)	IL (cells/hpf)	IM (cells/hpf)	Healing	Globlet cell activation	Edema
Prednisolone (5 mg/kg)	Linear deep & shallow ulcer (+)	Focally (+)	Present (+)	Superficial and deep (+)	5–10	15–20	15–20	Evident focally (+)	Present (+)	+
n-Hexane fraction	FSU (+ +)	Focally (+)	Present (+)	Superficial (+)	15–20	10–20	10–15	Evident focally (+)	Present (+ + +)	+ + +
Ethyl acetate fraction	FSU (+ +)	Focally (+)	Present (+)	Superficial (+ +)	10–15	10–20	10–15	Evident focally (+)	Present (+ + +)	+ + +
Methanol fraction	Shallow ulcer (+ +)	Focally (+)	Present (+)	Superficial (+ +)	5–10	10–20	5–10	Evident focally (+)	Present (+ +)	+
Crude methanol extract	Shallow ulcer (+)	Focally (+)	Present (+)	Superficial (+)	0–5	10–20	5–15	Evident focally (+ +)	Present (+ +)	+
Control (5% acetic acid)	Linear deep & shallow ulcer	Focally (+ + +)	Present (+ + +)	Deeper (+ + +)	25–30	20–30	15–20	Not evident	+ + +	+ + +

DME, destruction of mucosal epithelium; IN, infiltration of neutrophils; IL, infiltration of lymphocytes; IM, infiltration of macrophages; FSU, focal shallow ulcer; +, minimum; + +, intermediate; + + +, maximum.

Table 2.  Effect of fractions from crude methanol extract of C. dichotoma bark on myeloperoxidase (MPO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity in blood and tissue.

Treatment	Myeloperoxidase		Malonadialdehyde
	Blood (U/ml)	Tissue	Blood (nmol/ml)	Tissue
Standard (prednisolon, 5 mg/kg, i.p.)	221 ± 23.0*	+	2.21 ± 1.5*	+
n-Hexane fraction (50 mg/kg, p.o.)	250 ± 32.5	+ +	6.57 ± 1.5	+ +
Ethyl acetate fraction (50 mg/kg, p.o.)	237 ± 25.0	+ +	6.47 ± 2.0*	+ +
Methanol fraction (50 mg/kg, p.o.)	210 ± 26*	+	2.11 ± 1.0*	+
Crude methanol extract (500 mg/kg, p.o.)	225 ± 35.5*	+ +	4.88 ± 1.5	+ +
Control (5% acetic acid)	360 ± 0.2	+ + +	9.98 ± 1.5*	+ + +

Results are expressed as mean ± SEM.

*p < 0.05 significant compared with control group.

+, represents low; + +, represents intermediate; + + +, represents high enzyme level in the tissue.

Table 3.  Antioxidant activity of fractions from crude methanol extract of the bark of C. dichotoma.

Treatment	DPPH assay	ABTS assay		FRAP assay
	IC50 (µg/ml)	µg/ml TE/g DM	% Inhibition	µg/ml TE/g DM
Ascorbic acid	12.5	—	—	—
n-Hexane fraction	115.0	0.83	41.33	1.43
Ethyl acetate fraction	40.0	2.0	98.47	2.18
Methanol fraction	26.25	2.03	99.17	2.45
Crude methanol extract	30.0	2.03	99.03	2.28

Table 4.  Concentration of phenolic content of fractions from crude methanol extract of the bark of C. dichotoma by Folin–Ciocalteu method.

Concentration of fraction/extract (µg/ml)	Concentration of phenolic content (µg/ml)
	n-hexane fraction	Ethyl acetate fraction	Methanol fraction	Crude methanol extract
50	3.0	8.5	16.0	15.5
100	8.0	17.5	43.5	40.5
200	11.5	31.5	50.0	50.0

Figure 1.  Histopathological observations of colon tissue after the treatment with fractions of crude methanol extract of C. dichotoma bark. A = Standard; B = n-Hexane fraction; C = Methanol fraction; D = Crude methanol extract; E = Ethyl acetate fraction, F = Control (5% acetic acid).