研究顯示杏仁（almond）皮粉末可以降低發炎反應，因此本實驗採用中國苦味杏仁，目的在於探討直接飲用杏仁茶是否有緩和結腸炎病程的效應。採用 7 週齡 Wistar 品系雄鼠 16 隻，隨機分成兩組，飼料採用粉狀Chow diet，分為控制組 (C group)、杏仁組 (A group)，杏仁組供給 5% 杏仁粉添加於飲用水直接飲用，而且每日新鮮配製，飼料與飲用水或杏仁飲皆採自由攝取 (ad libitum)。飼養 5 週，第 6 週開始於飲用水中添加 2% DSS (w/v) (Dextran sulfate sodium)，誘發腸道發炎，每天計算疾病活動指數 (Disease activity index, DAI)，連續 5 天後換回一般飲用水 2 天，第 8 天犧牲，採集血液與大腸組織，分析相關指標。結果顯示：給予 2% DSS 後，第 1~3 天急性結腸炎間，糞便潛血指數 A 組顯著低於 C 組，並且在 DAI 指數判定於第 2 天，A 組顯著低於 C 組，顯示杏仁具有減緩糞便潛血程度之功效。飲用杏仁茶並不會影響到大鼠的生長狀況與肝功能指標，大腸的長度、脂質過氧化指標TBARS 含量、GSH、SOD 酵素活性兩組間無統計差異。結論：大鼠誘發結腸炎模式下餵食杏仁，能改善糞便潛血程度並降低第二天之DAI 指數，推測杏仁有輕微緩和腸炎效應，如果增加杏仁的劑量，可能會有更顯著的效果。 The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of almond on the pathogenesis of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in rats. 7-wks-old male Wistar rats were assigned to 2 groups (n=8), control group (C) and 5% almond water-fed group (A). After 5-wks feeding, rats were induced colitis by receiving 2% DSS (w/v) in their drinking water for 5 days. During the acute colitis, clinical manifestations and disease activity index (DAI) were recorded everyday. All rats were killed at day 8, blood and colon were collected for further analysis. Our results showed that rats treated with almond caused a decrease in DAI at day 2, this ameliorative effect mainly was attributed to the reduction of gross bleeding. There were no differences in body weight gain, serum GOT and GPT activities between the two groups. The length of colon, TBARS, GSH content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in colon didn’t differ between the two groups. Therefore, we suggested that almond water could ameliorate the progression of DSS-induced acute colitis in rats, but the protective mechanisms of almond need to further explore.
