Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Mannanase-Hydrolyzed Copra Meal in a Porcine Model of Colitis

We evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of mannanase-hydrolyzed copra meal (MNB), including β-1,4-mannobiose (67.8%), in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced porcine model of intestinal inflammation. In the DSS-positive control (POS) and MNB treatment (MCM) groups, DSS was first administered to piglets via intragastric catheter for 5 days, followed by 5 days administration of saline or MCM. A negative control group (NEG) received a saline alternative to DSS and MNB. Inflammation was assessed by clinical signs, morphological and histological measurements, gut permeability and neutrophil infiltration. Local production of TNF-α and IL-6 were analyzed by ELISA, colonic and ileal inflammatory gene expressions were assessed by real time RT-PCR, and CD4+CD25+ cell populations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Crypt elongation and muscle thickness, D-mannitol gut permeation, colonic expression of the inflammatory mediators TNF-α and IL-6 and myeloperoxidase activity were significantly lower in the MCM group than in that of POS group. The mRNA levels of ileal IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α were significantly lower following MCM treatment than with POS treatment.MNB exerts anti-inflammatory activity in vivo, suggesting that MNB is a novel therapeutic that may provide relief to human and animals suffering from intestinal inflammation.