Assessment of in vitro biological activities of Terminalia arjuna Roxb. bark extract and Arjunarishta in inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer

Abstract

Alternative or complementary therapies for several inflammatory disorders have gained considerable acceptability and popularity in recent years. The Arjuna tree, Terminalia arjuna Roxb. (Combretaceae) holds antidiarrheal and antioxidant potential useful in management of inflammatory gastro intestinal ailments. Here, we evaluated the possible effect of T.arjunahydroalcoholic extract (TAHA) and traditional Ayurvedic formulation Arjunarishta (AA) for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer. The phytochemical profile of test materials was confirmed via investigation of total phenolic and flavanoid content and standardized by HPLC-PDA method. In vitro antioxidant activity was carried out using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay. Antimicrobial potential was tested against clinical isolates of IBD patients (HM95, HM233, HM251, HM615). Cytotoxicity was determined against human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco2, COLO.205), whereas, cytocompatibility against normal rat intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) and mouse fibroblast cells (L929). Additionally, in vitro oxidative cell damage stress was estimated by lipid peroxidation biomarker. TAHA displayed higher antioxidant capacity as compared to AA formulation. Different sensitivities were observed against different study cell lines in dose dependant manner. Similarly, significant (p<0.05) enhanced malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in test materials and 5-FU treated colorectal adenocarcinoma cells was detected as compared to control cells. TAHA and AA exhibited antimicrobial activity against IBD associated clinical isolates. These findings provide biological evidence for therapeutic application of TAHA and AA in IBD and colorectal cancer treatment