Bioactive compounds from dietary whole grape seed meal improved colonic inflammation via inhibition of MAPKs and NF-kB signaling in pigs with DSS induced colitis

•GSM diet reduced diarheea in DSS-treated piglets.•GSM diet diminished expression of pro-inflammatory markers in colon of colitic piglets.•GSM diet inhibited MAPKs expression in colon of piglets with DSS-induced colitis.•GSM diet attenuated NF-kB expression expression in colon of piglets with colitis.•GSM could be alternative food supplement to reduce intestinal inflammation in IBD. The management of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases symptoms is focused to find new alternative strategies which could have beneficial effects on intestinal inflammation including the nutritional interventions. Using an in vivo approach together with gene and protein analysis, we investigated the effect of a diet with 8% grape seed meal on inflammatory markers and signaling pathway molecules. DSS-challenged pigs were used as IBD animal model. Our results showed that the DSS treatment induced a widespread inflammation at colon level by increasing a wide range of pro-inflammatory molecules via activation of pro-inflammatory p38/ERK/JNK MAPK signaling cascades followed by activation of NF-kB and other nuclear receptors. Diet with grape seed meal was efficient in counteracting inflammatory disorders by inhibiting MAPKs, attenuating NF-kB gene and protein expression and diminishing pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines production toward the control level. Grape seed meal could be used as alternative food supplements to reduce inflammation at intestinal level.