Abstract
BackgroundDespite the widespread use of roots of Cassia sieberiana in managing several health conditions including gastric ulcer disease, there is little scientific data to support the rational phytotherapeutics as an anti-ulcer agent. This paper reports an evaluation of the in vivo anti-oxidant properties of an aqueous root bark extract of C. sieberiana in experimental gastric ulcer rats in a bid to elucidate its mechanism of action.MethodsFisher 344 (F344) rats received pretreatment of C. sieberiana root bark extract (500, 750, and 1000 mg/kg body wt.) for 7 days after which there was induction of gastric injury with absolute ethanol. The mean ulcer index (MUI) was calculated and serum total anti-oxidant level determined. Gastric mucosal tissues were prepared and the activity level of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured together with the level of lipid hydroperoxides (LPO). Statistical difference between treatment groups was analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Dunnett’s post hoc t test. Statistical significance was calculated at P< 0.05.ResultsThe administration of ethanol triggered severe acute gastric ulcer and pretreatment with C. sieberiana root bark extract significantly and dose dependently protected against this effect. The root bark extract also dose dependently and significantly inhibited the ethanol induced decrease in activity levels of the enzymes SOD, CAT and GPx. The extract also inhibited the ethanol-induced decrease in level of serum total anti-oxidant capacity. The increase in ethanol-induced LPO level and MPO activity were also significantly and dose-dependently inhibited by the root bark extract.ConclusionsThe gastro-cytoprotective effect, inhibition of decrease in activity of gastric anti-oxidant enzymes and MPO as well as the inhibition of gastric LPO level suggests that one of the anti-ulcer mechanisms of C. sieberiana is the anti-oxidant property.
Highlights
Despite the widespread use of roots of Cassia sieberiana in managing several health conditions including gastric ulcer disease, there is little scientific data to support the rational phytotherapeutics as an anti-ulcer agent
Gastric ulcer disease (GUD) is a common problem of the gastro-intestinal tract with increasing incidence and prevalence attributed to various factors including the widespread use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Gastric ulcer disease is a multi-factorial disease and the significant role played by reactive oxygen species and free radicals [5] during its pathogenesis is well experimented in both human and experimental animals [14]
Summary
Despite the widespread use of roots of Cassia sieberiana in managing several health conditions including gastric ulcer disease, there is little scientific data to support the rational phytotherapeutics as an anti-ulcer agent. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals play an important role in the pathogenesis of several human diseases including GUD [5,6]. Various studies have shown that the endogenous anti-oxidant defense enzymes play a principal role in eliminating ROS and free radicals generated from the action of factors that damage the stomach. An approach to manage GUD, is through the scavenging of ROS and the stimulation of the endogenous anti-oxidant enzymes in the stomach in addition to the other approaches like the inhibition of gastric H+, K+-ATPase and the elimination of H. pylori using antibiotics
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