• Naringenin alleviates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice by reducing weight loss, DAI scores, and colonic inflammation.
• NAR activates the Nrf2 signaling pathway, upregulating antioxidant enzymes HO-1 and NQO1 while suppressing NF-κB-mediated pro-inflammatory cytokines.
• Network pharmacology and bioinformatics identified potential NAR-UC gene targets, supporting its multi-target therapeutic mechanism.
• These findings suggest NAR as a promising natural compound for UC management, warranting further clinical investigation.