Title:The Significant Role of Nutraceutical Compounds in Ulcerative Colitis
Treatment
Volume: 29
Issue: 24
Author(s): Azzurra Chiara De Maio, Giovanna Basile, Domenico Iacopetta, Alessia Catalano*, Jessica Ceramella, Danilo Cafaro, Carmela Saturnino and Maria Stefania Sinicropi
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacy-Drug Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126 Bari, Italy
Keywords:
Ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, nutraceuticals, curcumin, naringenin, oleuropein.
Abstract: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mainly
affecting the colon and the rectum. Its main characteristics include relapsing and remitting
mucosal inflammation, starting in the rectum and typically extending continuously
proximally through part of or the entire colon. UC pathogenesis depends on multiple factors,
such as genetic predisposition, defects in the epithelial barrier, dysregulated immune
responses, and environmental causes. The most frequent symptoms are abdominal pain,
weight loss, mucus discharge, bloody diarrhoea, incontinence, nocturnal defecations, fever,
and anemia. Existing therapies for UC include 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and its
derivatives, steroids, immunosuppressants, and biological drugs. However, limited efficacy
and unwanted adverse effects hardly limit these strategies of treatment. In the last decades,
research studies have been driven towards complementary and alternative
medicines for the treatment of UC. Various nutraceuticals have exhibited promising results
in modulating intestinal inflammation while improving symptoms. These compounds
possess a wide spectrum of positive health effects evidenced by in vitro studies,
characterized by their involvement in antioxidant defenses, cell proliferation, and gene
expression. The present review analyzes the available data about the different types of nutraceuticals
and their potential effectiveness as adjuvant therapy of IBD, with particular
emphasis to UC.
