Quince Gel Attenuates Experimental Ulcerative Colitis Through Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Mucosal Repair Mechanisms: Integrated Histopathological, Bioinformatic and Molecular Docking Analyses
PHARMACEUTICALS, cilt.19, sa.8, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 19 Sayı: 8
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3390/ph19081161
- Dergi Adı: PHARMACEUTICALS
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO)
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objective: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a relapsing inflammatory disorder of the colon in which persistent mucosal injury, oxidative stress, and defective healing processes contribute to disease progression. Given the need for alternative therapeutic strategies, this study evaluated the efficacy of intrarectal quince gel in an experimental UC model using an integrated approach that combined biochemical assays, histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations, bioinformatic analyses, and molecular docking. Methods: A total of 28 male Wistar albino rats were randomly allocated to one of four experimental groups: Sham, Quince Gel, UC, and UC + Quince Gel (n = 7/group). UC was induced by intrarectal administration of 4% acetic acid, followed by daily intrarectal quince gel treatment for 10 days. To determine the therapeutic effects of quince gel, macroscopic and histopathological changes, colon mass index, oxidative stress indicators (TAS, TOS, OSI, and MDA), serum biochemical parameters, and inflammatory mediators, including TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6, were evaluated. TGF-beta and FGF expression levels were assessed by immunohistochemistry and quantified using QuPath software (version 0.7.0). The phytochemical composition of quince gel was characterized by LC-MS/MS analysis, while protein-protein interaction network analysis and molecular docking were performed to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms underlying its biological effects. Results: Quince gel significantly alleviated acetic acid-induced colonic injury by reducing macroscopic damage scores, histopathological injury, and colon mass index. Treatment restored oxidative balance by increasing total antioxidant status while decreasing total oxidant status, oxidative stress index, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. In addition, serum LDH, CRP, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 levels were markedly reduced compared with the untreated UC group. Histological examination demonstrated preservation of epithelial integrity, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, and improved mucosal architecture. Quantitative immunohistochemical analysis showed significant attenuation of TGF-beta and FGF overexpression following quince gel treatment. LC-MS/MS identified quercetin as a major bioactive constituent of the gel. Bioinformatic analysis revealed TGFB1, STAT3, and MMP9 as central hub proteins within the UC-associated interaction network, whereas molecular docking demonstrated the strongest binding affinity of quercetin toward TNF-alpha (-7.379 kcal/mol), supporting its potential anti-inflammatory mechanism. Conclusions: Quince gel exerts significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and mucosal regenerative effects in experimental UC. The integration of histopathological, immunohistochemical, phytochemical, bioinformatic, and molecular docking findings suggests that quince gel may protect colonic tissue through coordinated modulation of oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, and tissue repair pathways. These findings support its potential as a promising complementary therapeutic strategy for UC.