Therapeutic potential of morus nigra on 5-fluorouracil-induced gastrointestinal mucositis in rats

To investigate the therapeutic potential of Morus Nigra on the mucositis of digestive system induced via 5-fluorouracil in rats. A total of 26 rats were divided into 4 groups as control (C), mucositis (M), Morus nigra extract-1(MN-1) and Morus nigra extract-2 (MN-2). Mucositis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The antioxidant enzyme levels in blood samples were analysed by ELISA. Histological analysis and immunohistochemical staining for NF-kB and TNF-α were done. Increased oxidative markers were found in mucositis group and increased antioxidative status was found in MN-1 and MN-2 groups. All histochemical analyses suggested that 5-FU causes intestinal degeneration; the MN-1 extract reduced this degeneration but did not completely treat it. The therapeutic potential of MN-2 extract was lower than the MN-1. Results of the present study suggest that, though partly, MN-1 extract in particular may have biochemically and histologically positive effects against experimental mucositis induced by 5-FU in rats