In an animal model of inflammatory bowel disease similar to the model used in the present study, COS have been shown to suppress intestinal inflammation by inhibiting IL-6 cytokines and the TLR-4/NF-kB/MAPK pathways while activating Th2 cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-10, thus improving intestinal mucus production (47, 48). This evidence concerns the gene TLR4 and inflammatory bowel disease.