Abstract

In the current study, the effects of aqueous extract of aerial parts of tarragon in ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by acetic acid in Wistar rats were investigated. The participants were 70 male Wistar rats that were grouped into seven equal individuals. In this experimental study, luminal instillation of acetic acid was applied to induce ulcerative colitis in the male Wistar rats. Animals in the treatment groups received Mesalazine, Asacol or Tarragon and combination of Asacol and aqueous extract (orally or enemadaily) for 10 consecutive days. At the end, the rats were sacrificed, and the levels of myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide, the concentration of TNF-alpha and IL-6 and histopathological damage were assessed. Findings indicated a significant increase in inflammatory mediators' colon tissue levels and pathological damage of positive control group compared with the negative control group. Aqueous extract of Tarragon in combination with Asacol (intra-colonic) indicated a higher capability in remarkably reducing inflammatory mediators levels and pathological damage in comparison with the other treatment groups. The results showed that Tarragon extract with anti-colitis property can be a suitable candidate and a natural source of recent medications.