Protective Effect of Ferulago angulata (Schltdl.) Boiss. Hydroalcoholic Extract against Acetic Acid‑induced Colitis in Rat: Role of Pro‑inflammatory Cytokines

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic recurrent inflammatory disease with unknown etiology. Ferulago angulata (Schltdl.) Boiss. has been proposed as an efficacious treatment for gastrointestinal ulcers and UC in the traditional Persian medicine. Objective: In the present study, we investigated the possible protective effect of F. angulata (Schltdl.) Boiss. hydroalcoholic extract (FAE) against acetic acid‑induced UC in rats. Materials and Methods: The aerial parts of FAE (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) were administered orally after acetic acid induced‑inflammatory bowel disease. On the 3^rd day, animals were euthanized by an overdose of ether inhalation and the abdomen was rapidly dissected for macroscopic, histological, and biochemical (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]‑α, interleukin‑1β [IL‑1β]) analyses. Results: All doses of F. angulata (Schltdl.) Boiss. extract ameliorated acetic acid‑induced macroscopic and microscopic scores, except for 50 mg/kg. Furthermore, our observations were accompanied by a significant (P < 0.05) suppression in the elevated amount of IL‑1β and TNF‑α. Conclusion: These findings demonstrated the beneficial effect of hydroalcoholic extract of F. angulata (Schltdl.) Boiss. in acetic acid‑induced ulcerative lesions via anti‑inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and mucosal healing properties. F. angulata (Schltdl.) Boiss. possesses promising protective function on colitis.