The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of shikimic acid (SA), an active component extracted from Chinese star anise, on acetic acid (AA)-induced colitis in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: control, AA, AA+sulfasalazine (SASP; 500 mg/kg) and AA + SA at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg. Colitis was induced in all groups except the control group by AA. The AA group received saline; treatment groups received SA or SASP, respectively. The activities of myeloperoxidase (MPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) were measured from colonic samples. In AA-induced model, SA significantly ameliorated colon damage, inhibited the increase of MPO and iNOS activities, depressed MDA and NO levels and enhanced SOD activity. The findings of this study demonstrate the protective effect of SA in AA-induced colitis, probably due to an antioxidant action.