Dietary Supplementation with a Low Dose of Polyphenol-Rich Grape Pomace Extract Prevents Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Rats

Evidence from several epidemiological and experimental studies points to a beneficial role of dietary polyphenols in inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, we investigate the protective effect of dietary supplementation with various amounts of a polyphenol-rich grape pomace extract (GPE) on the development of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in rats. Rats were fed 21 days on a semisynthetic diet enriched with GPE (0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%), and acute colitis was induced by DSS (40 g/L in the drinking water) administration during the last 7 days. The low GPE content in the diet (0.1%) attenuated clinical signs and colon shortening and limited DSS-induced histological lesions. GPE 0.1% also attenuated the DSS-induced increase in myeloperoxidase activity and improved superoxide dismutase activity. Higher amounts of GPE in the diet induced only weak and nonsignificant protective effects. These results suggest that consumption of a low amount of polyphenol-rich GPE helps protect against colitis development.