Abstract
Byrsonima sericea leaves are extensively used in folk medicine in Brazil against gastric disorders. This study investigated the chemical constituents of B. sericea leaf ethanolic extract (BSLE) and its potential gastroprotective activity, with its possible mechanism of the action using ethanol to induce gastric mucosal damage in mice. The phytochemical analysis was carried out to identify the active constituents present in the extract, and the HPLC analysis was performed for the identification of flavonoids. BSLE at oral doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg markedly attenuated the ethanol-evoked gastric lesions by 53.2, 84.9 and 87.6 %, respectively. The BSLE (250 mg/kg) prevented the depletion of gastric mucus and gastric mucosal nonproteic-sulfhydryl groups, SOD and CAT, as well as the increase in the MDA content promoted by absolute ethanol. Moreover, the effect of BSLE against ethanol damage was found to be significantly reduced in mice pretreated with Capsazepine (i.p.), L-NAME (i.p.) or glibenclamide (i.p.), the respective blockers/inhibitors of TRPV1, NO synthase and K+ATP channel. The phytochemical investigation on BSLE revealed the presence of flavonoids rutin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside and quercetin, which are compounds well known for their antioxidant and gastroprotective properties. These results suggest that BSLE affords gastroprotection through multiple mechanisms, which may be helpful in the treatment of pathologies associated with gastric dysfunctions.
Highlights
Plants of the genus Byrsonima (Malpighiaceae) are widely distributed in various parts of Brazil where local people call them murici
The phytochemical analysis of B. sericea leaf ethanolic extract (BSLE) indicated the presence of flavonoids and tannins, and the HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of rutin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside and quercetin as the main secondary metabolites
The results of this study show that BSLE at doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg affords a pronounced gastroprotection against ethanol that induced lesions, which is probably due to the presence of strong antioxidant flavonoids in the extract
Summary
Plants of the genus Byrsonima (Malpighiaceae) are widely distributed in various parts of Brazil where local people call them murici. The presence of phenolic compounds possibly explains the gastroprotective effect of the extracts of Byrsonima species. Byrsonima sericea DC (Fig. 1) grows abundantly in the Northeastern states of Brazil, and it is traditionally used to treat gastrointestinal dysfunction. An antioxidant activity of the methanol extract from B. sericea has recently been described, using the DPPH assay (Boscolo et al 2007). There were no scientific studies in literature on B. sericea extracts in relation to the regarding its gastrointestinal activity. Since antioxidants can afford gastroprotection both in clinical and experimental settings, the present study aimed at evaluating the B. sericea leaf extract (BSLE) for potential gastroprotection and its underlying mechanism of the action using the ethanol to induce gastric damage in mice as a model system. The phytochemical analysis of the extract was carried out to identify the chemical compounds that were probably responsible for protecting the plants
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