Resveratrol in ulcerative colitis: therapeutic mechanisms, animal model evidence and novel approaches

Ulcerative colitis is a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterised by abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, rectal bleeding and ulcerations in colon. This illness has significant health risks as it easily relapses, thus, providing a considerable threat to human health. A number of inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress and role of gut microbes have been studied thoroughly to understand the exact pathophysiology behind the disease occurrence. Several conventional therapies are available for the treatment of ulcerative colitis but each one of them have one or the other side effect. Therefore, to overcome this limitation, we are moving ahead towards herbal drug therapies. The current review presents the emerging role of Resveratrol, a natural occurring polyphenol derived from plant species. It is associated with potential antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Protective effects of Resveratrol in different ulcerative colitis induced animal models are discussed in this review. Various strategies to improve bioavailability of drug include encapsulation of drug in several nanocarriers. Although many animal models have proved the effectiveness of Resveratrol in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, further research on human subjects is still required to understand the exact mechanism and safety to establish its uses clinically.