The Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Anacardium occidentale L. Cashew Nuts in a Mouse Model of Colitis

Abstract

Background: Anacardium occidentale L. is a tropical plant used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The goal of the present work was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant potential of oral administration of cashew nuts (from Anacardium occidentale L.) in a mouse model of colitis. Methods: Induction of colitis was performed by intrarectally injection of dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS). Cashew nuts were administered daily orally (100 mg/kg) in DNBS-injected mice. Results: Four days after DNBS, histological and macroscopic colon alterations as well as marked clinical signs and increased cytokine production were observed. Neutrophil infiltration, measured by myeloperoxidase (MPO) positive immunostaining, was correlated with up-regulation of adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and P-selectin in colons. Oxidative stress was detected with increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, nitrotyrosine, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) positive staining in inflamed colons. Oral treatment with cashew nuts reduced histological, macroscopic damage, neutrophil infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokines and MDA levels, as well as nitrotyrosine, PARP and ICAM-1, and P-selectin expressions. Colon inflammation could be related to nuclear factor (NF)-kB pathway activation and reduced manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) antioxidant activity. Cashew nuts administration inhibited NF-kB and increased MnSOD antioxidant expressions. Conclusions: The results suggested that oral assumption of cashew nuts may be beneficial for the management of colitis.

Consumption of Anacardium occidentale L. (Cashew Nuts) Inhibits Oxidative Stress through Modulation of the Nrf2/HO−1 and NF-kB Pathways

“…Table 1 reports the nutritional profile of cashew kernel samples from Ivory Coast (Africa). In agreement with the chemical composition of West Africa cashew [ 15 ], cashews contain a high proportion of lipid (44.19%), followed by carbohydrate (35.43%) expressed as sum of soluble sugars and fiber and protein (22.46%). The total phenolic content, expressed as mg/100 g of sample, was higher (80.01) compared to what was reported in our previous work for West Africa cashews (69.64) [ 22 ].…”

“…Well-known antioxidants such as quercetin, curcumin, and vitamin C protect against I/R injury [ 30 , 31 ], proposing that natural sources of antioxidants may be useful to treat this issue. Previous studies from our laboratory showed the antioxidant properties of cashew nuts in experimental model of colitis and osteoarthritis [ 15 , 22 ]. In particular, these studies showed cashew nuts’ ability to alleviate the clinical signs, pain perception, histological damage, and molecular mediators involved in these diseases.…”

“…Stained sections from each mouse were scored in a blinded fashion and observed using a Leica DM6 microscope (Leica Microsystems SpA, Milan, Italy) following a typical procedure [ 22 ]. The histogram profile is related to the positive pixel intensity value obtained [ 15 ]. All images were acquired at 10 × magnification (250 µm).…”

“…Numerous preclinical and clinical reports described the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of plant compounds and their by-products [ 14 ]. Anacardium occidentale L. is a medicinal plant with important therapeutic effects [ 15 ]. In particular, for the different parts of the plant, such as stem, flowers, leaves, and fruits, different pharmacological functions have been described [ 16 ].…”

“…Recent studies showed that the cashew nuts have cardioprotective properties [ 18 ], have cholesterol-lessening effect [ 19 ], and decrease the inflammatory mediators [ 20 ]. In particular, cashew nuts have elevated nutritional importance: they can modulate risk of cardiovascular issues, metabolic syndrome [ 21 ], chronic inflammatory bowel disorders [ 15 ], and painful degenerative joint disease [ 22 ]. The positive effects of natural antioxidant compound such as bergamot juice [ 23 ], glycyrrhizin [ 24 ], green tea [ 25 ], Himanthalia elongata [ 26 ], thymoquinone, and melatonin [ 27 ] have been also described.…”