Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of Aloe vera and Punica granatum: onconutraceutical potential in intestinal epithelial cells

Intestinal epithelial cells play a pivotal role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Different noxious agents can damage the intestinal epithelial integrity. This damage is also associated with anticancer therapies resulting in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory factors overproduction, also at gastrointestinal level. Gastrointestinal mucositis is a frequent and severe side effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in cancer patients, affecting approximately 50 to 80% of patients [1,2]. Currently, no effective treatment exists for chemotherapy-induced mucositis, prompting the need to develop an anti-mucositis agents for use in clinics. Our study focused on the effect of Aloe barbadensis and Punica granatum combination in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) during oxidative stress and inflammatory conditions. Oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators such as ROS release, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H Quinone Dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) expression, were evaluated by cytofluorimetric tecniques. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were evaluated by ELISA assay. Aloe barbadensis inhibited ROS production both during oxidative stress and in inflammatory conditions as well as COX-2 and iNOS expression, at all tested concentrations, during inflammation in IEC-6. In the same experimental conditions, Aloe barbadensis also increased the cytoprotective enzymes HO-1 and NQO1 expression and reduced TNF-α release. The treatment of IEC-6 with Aloe barbadensis plus Punica granatum (9:1 ratio) significantly increases the activity of Aloe barbadensis alone. Our results indicate that Aloe barbadensis and Punica granatum combination could be useful to reduce the oxidative stress and inflammatory-mediated complications, also associated to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, at intestinal level. References [1] Peterson DE, Bensadoun RJ, Roila F, Group EGW. Management of oral and gastrointestinal mucositis: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines. Ann Oncol 2011; 22 (Suppl 6): vi78–84 [2] Rosenthal DI, Trotti A. Strategies for managing radiation-induced mucositis in head and neck cancer. Semin Radiat Oncol 2009; 19: 29–34