Anti-inflammatory activity of diosmin and hesperidin in rat colitis induced by TNBS

The intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of two flavonoids, hesperidin and diosmin, was evaluated in the acute stage of the trinitrobenzenesulfonic a cid (TNBS) model of rat colitis. The results obtained showed that pretreatm ent with diosmin (10 mg/kg) or hesperidin (10 and 25 mg/kg) reduced colonic damage compared to TNBS control rats. This effect was confirmed biochemica lly by a reduction in colonic myeloperoxidase activity compared to non-trea ted colitic animals. Colonic glutathione levels in colitic animals were sig nificantly increased after hesperidin or diosmin treatment. Diosmin decreas ed colonic MDA production and inhibited LTB4 synthesis, whereas hesperidin failed to do so. Conversely, only hesperidin improved colonic fluid absorpt ion, which was impaired in colitic animals. In conclusion, both diosmin and hesperidin were able to prevent colonic inflammation, acting via a mechani sm in which protection against oxidative insult may play a role.