Protective Effects of Spondias mombin L. Juice Alone or in Combination With Lactobacillus acidophilus in 5‐Fluorouracil‐Induced Experimental Intestinal Mucositis

ABSTRACT Background Evaluate the impact of Spondias mombin L. juice (SM), alone and in combination with Lactobacillus acidophilus , in an experimental model of intestinal mucositis. Methods Swiss mice were orally administered with saline, SM, or SM combined with L. acidophilus NRRL B‐4495 at 1 × 10 9 colony‐forming unit (CFU/mL) for 15 days before the induction of intestinal mucositis by a single intraperitoneal injection of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) at 450 mg/kg. On the 18th day, following euthanasia, tissue samples were collected for histopathological examination. Jejunum tissues were analyzed for MUC‐2 immunoexpression, concentrations of interleukin‐1‐beta (IL‐1β), interleukin 6 (IL‐6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, and invertase activity. Key Results 5‐FU induced intestinal damage in all intestinal segments, and this damage involved villus blunting, flattened and vacuolated cells, crypt necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, and mucosa and submucosal edema compared to the control group. In contrast, SM or SM with L. acidophilus prevented these morphological alterations in all intestinal segments ( p < 0.05). Both treatments reduced the intestinal concentration of IL‐1 beta ( p < 0.05), IL‐6 ( p < 0.05), and TNF‐alpha ( p < 0.05). Notably, the combination of SM and L. acidophilus , but not SM alone, prevented the 5‐FU‐induced decrease in invertase activity and mucin expression ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, SM combined with L. acidophilus resulted in an increased population of lactic acid bacteria in feces on the 7th and 18th days. Combining SM with L. acidophilus also decreased fecal excretion of γ‐Ergostenol and γ‐sitosterol. Conclusions and Inferences SM, alone and combined with Lactobacillus acidophilus demonstrated significant protective effects against 5‐FU‐induced intestinal mucositis, reducing inflammatory markers.