title: Dietary uptake of Wedelia chinensis extract attenuates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.
abstract: METHODS
  Traditional medicinal herbs are increasingly used as alternative therapies in patients with inflammatory diseases. Here we evaluated the effect of Wedelia chinensis, a medicinal herb commonly used in Asia, on the prevention of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute colitis in mice. General safety and the effect of different extraction methods on the bioactivity of W. chinensis were also explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  C57BL/6 mice were administrated hot water extract of fresh W. chinensis (WCHF) orally for one week followed by drinking water containing 2% DSS for nine days. WCHF significantly attenuated the symptoms of colitis including diarrhea, rectal bleeding and loss of body weight; it also reduced the shortening of colon length and histopathological damage caused by colonic inflammation. Among four W. chinensis extracts prepared using different extraction techniques, WCHF showed the highest anti-colitis efficacy. Analyses of specific T-cell regulatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-17, TGF-β, IL-12) revealed that WCHF treatment can suppress the Th1 and Th17, but not Th2, responses in colon tissues and dendritic cells of DSS-induced colitis mice. A 28-day subacute toxicity study showed that daily oral administration of WCHF (100, 500, 1000 mg/kg body weight) was not toxic to mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together, our findings suggest that specific extracts of W. chinensis have nutritional potential for future development into nutraceuticals or dietary supplements for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yuh-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chih-Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Yung-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Ching
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Li-Ting
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wen-Ching
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Palanisamy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arulselvan
authors.forename: Jiunn-Wang
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Shu-Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Pei-Wen
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Sheng-Chu
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Ning-Sun
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D031209:Wedelia / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016264:Dextran Sulfate