Abstract
Leaves and bark infusions Anacardium humile St. Hil. (Anacardiaceae), known as in Brazil as “cajuzinho do cerrado”, have been used in folk medicine as an alternative treatment for ulcers and gastritis. This study evaluated the gastroprotective activity of an ethyl acetate extract of the leaves of A. humile (AcF) and the mechanism involved in this gastroprotection. Pretreatment concentrations (50, 100, 200 mg.kg−1) were administered by gavage. Following a 60 min. period, all the rats were orally administered 1 mL of absolute ethanol. One hour after the administration of ethanol, all groups were sacrificed, and the gastric ulcer index was calculated. Prostaglandin PGE2 concentration, gastric adherent mucous, and the participation of nitric oxide (NO) and sulfhydryl compounds in the gastroprotection process were also analyzed using the most effective tested dose (50 mg·kg−1). A histological study of the glandular stomach for the evaluation of the epithelial damage and mucus content was also performed. AcF significantly reduced the gastric damage produced by ethanol. This effect was statistically significant for the 50 mg·kg−1 group compared to control. Also, it significantly increased the PGE2 (by 10-fold) and mucous production, while pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) completely abolished the gastroprotection. AcF has a protective effect against ethanol, and this effect, might be due to the augmentation of the protective mechanisms of mucosa.
Highlights
Numerous natural products derived from plant sources have been evaluated as therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases [1]
The aim of this work was to evaluate the pharmacological role of this species, describing the mechanism involved in the gastroprotective action of the ethyl acetate extract (AcF) of leaves of Anacardium humile St
In Brazil, a large number of herbal extracts are used in folk medicine to treat various types of digestive disorders [17], including the specie Anacardium humile
Summary
Numerous natural products derived from plant sources have been evaluated as therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases [1]. Among these diseases, peptic ulcers are a common disorder of the entire gastrointestinal tract that occur mainly in the stomach and the proximal duodenum. Despite great advances in the understanding of the peptic ulcer illness, its etiology has not been completely elucidated. Recent advances in our understanding have highlighted the multi-factorial pathogenesis of peptic ulcers, secretion of gastric acid is still recognized as a central component of this disease. The basic physiopathological concept is that the peptic ulcer results from an imbalance between some endogenous aggressive factor(s) [hydrochloric acid, pepsin, refluxed bile, leukotrienes, reactive oxygen species (ROS)] and cytoprotective factors, which include the function of the mucusbicarbonate barrier, surface active phospholipids, prostaglandins (PGs), mucosal blood flow, cell renewal and migration, nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants and some growth factors [2,3,4,5].
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