Gastroprotective activity of the galactomannan extracted from cassia grandis seeds: an in vivo study

Abstract

Peptic ulcer is a common disease with a high clinical incidence and frequent recurrences. The well-characterized galactomannan-type polysaccharide, extracted from Cassia grandis seeds, can accelerate the stages of wound healing and improve the remodeling of the extracellular matrix of injured tissues; this way, the gastroprotective potential of the galactomannan was proposed to be evaluated in the treatment of rat peptic ulcers induced by ethanol. Galactomannan was extracted by ethanol precipitation and prepared at 0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg concentrations. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into groups (n = 5) and orally treated with saline (negative control, NC), galactomannan at 0.1 mg/Kg (G0.1), galactomannan at 1.0 mg/Kg (G1), galactomannan at 10 mg/Kg (G10), and lansoprazole 30 mg/Kg (positive control, CP). Ethanol (1 mL/100g of body mass) was administered 1 h after the treatments and, after another hour, the animals were euthanized. The stomachs were removed, fixed between Petri dishes, and photographed to calculate the percentage of the injured regions by computerized software. Histological analysis and the quantification of lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione (GSH) were also performed. G1 and G10 reduced the injured area (P < 0.001) by 40 and 36%, respectively, concerning NC. It was observed the preservation of the gastric mucosa in all of the animals treated with galactomannan, in addition to reduced (P < 0.001) lipid peroxidation and GSH levels higher (P < 0.05) than NC. The galactomannan extracted from C. grandis seeds showed gastroprotective activity at 1.0 and 10 mg/kg by reducing the area of ulceration and oxidative stress.