Frontiers in Pharmacology (Mar 2016)

Dietary geraniol by oral or enema administration strongly reduces dysbiosis and systemic inflammation in dextran sulphate sodium-treated mice.

  • Luigia eDe Fazio,
  • Enzo eSpisni,
  • Elena eCavazza,
  • Antonio eStrillacci,
  • Marco eCandela,
  • Manuela eCentanni,
  • Chiara eRicci,
  • Fernando eRizzello,
  • Massimo eCampieri,
  • Maria Chiara Valerii

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2016.00038
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7

Abstract

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(Trans)-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol, commonly called geraniol (Ge-OH), is an acyclic monoterpene alcohol with well-known anti-inflammatory, antitumoral and antimicrobial properties. It is widely used as a preservative in the food industry and as an antimicrobial agent in animal farming. The present study investigated the role of Ge-OH as an anti-inflammatory and anti-dysbiotic agent in the dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Ge-OH was orally administered to C57BL/6 mice at daily doses of 30 and 120mg kg(-1) body weight, starting six days before DSS treatment and ending the day after DSS removal. Furthermore, Ge-OH 120 mg kg(-1) dose body weight was administered via enema during the acute phase of colitis to facilitate its on-site action. The results show that orally or enema-administered Ge-OH is a powerful antimicrobial agent able to prevent colitis-associated dysbiosis and decrease the inflammatory systemic profile of colitic mice. As a whole, Ge-OH strongly improved the clinical signs of colitis and significantly reduced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in colonocytes and in the gut wall. Ge-OH could be a powerful drug for the treatment of intestinal inflammation and dysbiosis.

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