As a water-soluble extracellular β-
glucan produced by Agrobacterium sp. ZX09,
Salecan has an excellent toxicological profile and exerts multiple physiological effects. The aims of the present study were to investigate the protective effects of a
Salecan diet in the well-defined
dextran sulphate
sodium (DSS) model of experimental murine
colitis and to elucidate the mechanism involved in its effects with special attention being paid to its effect on the production of TNF-α, a primary mediator involved in the inflammatory response. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a diet supplemented with either 4 or 8 %
Salecan for 26 d and DSS was administered to induce acute
colitis during the last 5 d of the experimental period. Several clinical and inflammatory parameters as well as
mRNA expression of TNF-α and
Dectin-1 were evaluated. The results indicated that the dietary incorporation of
Salecan attenuated the severity of DSS
colitis as evidenced by the decreased disease activity index, reduced severity of anaemia, attenuated changes in colon architecture and reduced colonic
myeloperoxidase activity. This protection was associated with the down-regulation of TNF-α
mRNA levels, which might derive from its ability to increase
Dectin-1 mRNA levels. In conclusion, the present study suggests that
Salecan contributes to the reduction of colonic damage and
inflammation in mice with DSS-induced
colitis and holds promise as a new, effective nutritional supplement in the management of
inflammatory bowel disease.