Aqueous extract of purple Bordeaux radish, Raphanus sativus L. ameliorates ethanol-induced gastric injury in rats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the crude aqueous extract of purple Bordeaux radish (Raphanus sativus L.) (PBR) ameliorates ethanol-induced gastric injury in rats. Animals were divided into the following nine groups: normal, distilled water-treated vehicle control, groups orally administered PBR extract (250, 500 and 1,000 mg/kg, daily for 2 weeks), with or without ethanol treatment (5 ml/kg) 24 h after final administration of PBR extract, and a group treated with ethanol alone. Rats treated with PBR extract (250–1,000 mg/kg) for 2 weeks showed no significant effects on body weight and gastric mucosa. Pretreatment with PBR extract at doses of 500 and 1,000 mg/kg, but not 250 mg/kg, significantly ameliorated ethanol-induced gastric hemorrhages in rats (p < 0.05). The immunoreactivities of inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) and its byproduct nitrotyrosine in the gastric mucosa of ethanol-treated rats pretreated with 500 mg/kg PBR extract were significantly reduced, as compared with rats treated with ethanol alone (p < 0.05). Collectively, these findings suggest that pretreatment with PBR extract ameliorates ethanol-induced damage in the gastric mucosa, which is mediated partly by the anti-oxidative activity of the extract. The precise mechanism of this gastroprotective action of PBR extract should be investigated further.