effect of intraperitoneal administration of bromelain on healing of colon anastomosis in rats

Intra-abdominal adhesions are known as a major complication following colon surgeries which may lead to abdominal pain and intestinal obstruction. bromelain is a mixture of proteolytic enzymes extracted from pineapple (ananas cosmosus) and possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and analgesic properties.1,2 reportedly, bromelain promotes wound healing, reduce inflammation and improve biomechanical parameters in diabetic wounds.3 the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of bromelain on healing of experimental colon anastomosis in rats. twenty male rats were anesthetized using intaperitoneal injection of 80 mg/kg ketamine and 10. mg/kg xylazine. aseptically, descending colon was exteriorized through a caudal abdomen incision. then, colonic resection and anastomosis using absorbable suture was performed and then abdominal incision was sutured (figure 1). control and treatment rats were received intraperitoneal injection of normal saline and 10 mg/kg bromelain respectively, for five consecutive days.4 on day six, the rats were euthanized by anesthetic overdose and the anastomosis sites were evaluated for adhesion formation, obstruction, and leakage. then, samples were harvested for histopathological studies using hematoxylin and eosin staining. data were analyzed in spss using mann-whitney and independent t-test, respectively. intraabdominal adhesions between the anastomotic sites and the greater omentum/spleen/small intestines/bladder (4 cases vs. 1), leakage (3 cases; vs. 0), and intestinal obstruction and distension (4 cases vs. 1) were observed in the control group at significantly higher levels compared to the treatment group (p < 0.05 for all comparisons; figure 2 and 3). histopathologically, a significant increase in infiltration of inflammatory cells was found in the control group compared to the treatment group (p < 0.05), indicating a stronger inflammatory response in the untreated condition. in contrast, the treatment group demonstrated a significant enhancement in angiogenesis and fibroplasia (p < 0.05), reflecting improved tissue repair (figure 4). the results of the present study showed that intraperitoneal administration of bromelain following colonic anastomosis in rats improves the structural indices of wound healing and decreases the rates of anastomotic complications. it is recommended to further investigate and consider the administration of bromelain in clinical settings, as it demonstrates a significant capacity to attenuate postoperative complications.