The therapeutic and immunomodulatory effects of black pomegranate peel extract (from Iraq) plus to sirolimus in an experimental rat’s model of ulcerative colitis

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.

Abstract

Objective
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic type of inflammatory bowel disease that is characterized by chronic colonic mucosa injury. Current treatments for the disease only provide symptomatic management rather than a cure. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic and antioxidant effects of ethanolic black pomegranate peel extract (BPPEE) used as monotherapy or in combination with sirolimus and compare the effects to those of standard sulfasalazine treatment in the 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis rat model.
Materials and methods
Rats were randomly divided into eight groups: a negative control group, a positive control group, and treatment groups with different doses of BPPEE (200 and 300 mg/kg), sulfasalazine, and sirolimus, and the combination of BPPEE and sirolimus, for four weeks. Black pomegranate fruits were collected from Karbala orchards in Iraq in September 2024, and the extract was formulated using 70% ethanol supplemented with 1% acetic acid of this fruit. The extract was characterized by physical features of dark purple in color, thick and viscous nature, sour in taste, and aromatic smell, with the extraction yield being 42.5%. Therapeutic effects were determined on the basis of clinical observation, changes in body weight, histological and transmission electron microscopy study of colon tissues and the measurement of oxidative stress markers including myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde.
Results
There was a marked improvement in clinical signs and a gradual recovery of body weight in all treated groups compared to the positive control group. The histological and electron microscopy analyses showed that there was a marked improvement in the integrity of the cellular structure of the colonic epithelium in comparison to the positive control group, especially in those animals treated with the combination therapy. Moreover, these two groups showed a marked decrease in myeloid peroxidase (MPO) and myelondylaldehyde (MDA) levels.
Conclusion
These findings show that the black pomegranate peel extract has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Moreover, the use of the black pomegranate peel extract in conjunction with sirolimus has shown a significant synergistic effect in the improvement of clinical, histological, and biochemical parameters in the ulcerative colitis model. Thus, the use of the black pomegranate peel extract in conjunction with sirolimus could be regarded as a promising approach in the management of ulcerative colitis.

Keywords

References

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Agricultural Biotechnology Journal
Volume 18, Issue 2
February 2026
Pages 509-528

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