Possible effects of fig (ficus carica) seed oil on ischemia-reperfusion damage, resulting from experimental mesenteric arterial ischemia in small intestine

The increase in free oxygen radicals and proinflammatory cytokines in the ischemia reperfusion injury caused by acute mesenteric ischemia are the key responsibles of intestinal histopathological alterations. It has been reported that Ficus carica and its various parts contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds recently. Thus we aimed to investigate how Ficus carica seed oil effects on intestinal ischemia reperfusion injury in a rat model in this study. 50 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 5 equal groups. Negative control (NC), sham-operated (Sham), ischemia and reperfusion (IR), 3ml/kg/day Ficus carica seed oil (FC3), 6ml/kg/day Ficus carica seed oil (FC6). IR, FC3 and FC6 groups underwent ischemia and reperfusion procedure for 45 + 120 min. Sham group rats were given 6ml / kg saline for 10 days. Only abdominal midline laparotomy was performed in Sham group, and after 165 minutes they were euthanized. Tissue IL-1β levels were significantly lower in both FC3 and FC6 groups compared to the IR group (p≤0.001). TNFα levels were significantly lower in the FC6 group than in the IR group (p≤0.01). The tissue MPO and MDA levels of the FC3 group were lower than in the IR group (p≤0.01, p≤0.05, respectively). Similarly, the tissue MPO and MDA levels of the FC6 group were lower compared to the IR group (p≤0.001). For both MPO and MDA levels, the decrease in the FC6 group was statistically bigger than the decrease in the FC3 group (p≤0.05). SOD and GSH levels were lower in both FC6 and FC3 groups compared to the IR group (p≤0.001), with no significant difference between the FC3 and FC6 groups. Tissue CAT levels were higher in both FC6 and FC3 groups than in the IR group (p≤0.05). There was no significant difference in CAT levels between FC3 and FC6 groups. Histopathologically, both FC3 and FC6 groups were staged with a lower score compared to the IR group (p≤0.001) and the FC6 group with a lower score compared to the FC3 group (p≤0.05). As a conclusion, peroral administration of fig seed oil may reverse biochemical and histopathological findings resulting from ischemia reperfusion injury in an experimental model of acute mesenteric ischemia in rats; probably because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. According to the results of our study; we think that oral use of fig seed oil in humans may positively alter the biochemical and histopathological results in ischemia reperfusion injury.