Abstract: Objective: To study the effect of black garlic on inflammatory response in BALB/c mice with ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Methods: The animal model was established by allowing them to have free access to 4% DSS. Afterwards, the mice were gavaged with a water extract of black garlic at different doses. The changes in the body mass of mice were determined as well as disease activity index (DAI) and histological score, and hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to evaluate the pathological changes in the colon. The serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Meanwhile, TNF-α expression in the colon was evaluated by Western blot. Results: black garlic at all three doses alleviated the loss of body mass induced by DSS in mice. Compared with the model control group, black garlic at the high and low doses significantly decreased DAI (P < 0.05) and the histopathological score and the levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in mice in the high and medium dose black garlic groups were significantly lower (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Black garlic can attenuate the inflammatory reaction in BALB/c mice with UC.

Key words: black garlic; dextran sulfate sodium; ulcerative colitis; BALB/c mice; tumor necrosis factor α