Gastric Ulcer Model Research Articles

Melanin from Sepia pharaonis ink alleviates mucosal damage and reduces inflammation to prevent alcohol-induced gastric ulcers

Melanin (MSI) is the primary component of Sepia pharaonis ink. Studies have demonstrated melanin's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in colitis. In the present study, the protective effect of ink melanin against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage in mice was investigated. After oral administration of MSI for 12 days, the mice were treated with anhydrous ethanol (0.2 mL) to establish the gastric ulcer model. Histopathological analysis showed that MSI reduced the ulcer area and bleeding symptoms of gastric tissue. MSI exhibited significant antioxidant properties by upregulating superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT) activities and decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The expression levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and prostaglandin E−2 (PGE2) significantly decreased during gastric mucosal injury, while MSI significantly reversed the effects. Furthermore, MSI reduced the expression of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and the protein expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2). In addition, MSI repressed gastric cell apoptosis by decreasing the expression of Caspase-3. In conclusion, MSI alleviated ethanol-induced gastric ulcer injury by modulating oxidation stress and inflammatory cytokines and maintaining the mucosal barrier, which can be used as therapeutic functional food or nutritional supplement to prevent gastric ulcers. Meanwhile, the mechanism of MSI targeted gastric TLR4/MAPKs pathway deserves further verification.

Dimethyl Cardamonin from Fruits of Campomanesia reitziana D. Legrand Promotes Gastroprotection and Gastric Healing Effects in Rodents.

Campomanesia reitziana D. Legrand (Myrtaceae) displays antiulcer properties when given to rodents. The major active chemical components of C. reitziana are chalcones, including 4',6'-dihydroxy-2'-methoxy-3',5'-dimethylchalcone or dimethyl cardamonin (DMC); therefore, we hypothesized that this compound could have antiulcer effects and the present study aimed to evaluate its gastroprotective and gastric healing properties. DMC was isolated from the fruits of C. reitziana, and its gastroprotective effect was evaluated by ethanol and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models in mice (0.1 mg/kg, i.p. and 1 and 3 mg/kg, p.o.). Oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters were analyzed in the gastric tissue. Moreover, its gastric healing effect was evaluated in rats. In addition, the compound's mode of action was evaluated in vivo and in vitro by measuring H+ -K+ -ATPase activity. Finally, the cytotoxic potential of DMC was tested in fibroblasts and human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. The DMC reduced the ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in mice by 77 %, increased the adhered mucus, and reduced lipoperoxides levels. The block of nonprotein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) compounds by pretreatment with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), the inhibition of nitric oxide synthase with Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME), or the antagonism of α2 receptor using yohimbine reversed the gastroprotective effects of DMC. Furthermore, DMC reduced the acidity of gastric content in pylorus-ligated rats but did not change H+ , K+ -ATPase (isolated from rabbit) activity in vitro. DMC reduced the lesion area in acetic acid-induced ulcers and decreased myeloperoxidase activity. DMC did not change the viability of fibroblast cells (L929) but reduced the viability of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells (AGS). The results confirmed that DMC could significantly enhance the gastric healing process and prevent ulcers due to improving protective factors on the gastric mucosa and reducing gastric acid secretion.

Integrated Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology to Decipher the Latent Mechanisms of Protopanaxatriol against Acetic Acid-Induced Gastric Ulcer

Gastric ulcer (GU) is a peptic disease with high morbidity and mortality rates affecting approximately 4% of the population throughout the world. Current therapies for GU are limited by the high relapse incidence and side effects. Therefore, novel effective antiulcer drugs are urgently needed. Ginsenosides have shown good anti-GU effects, and the major intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginsenosides, protopanaxatriol (PPT), is believed to be the active component. In this study, we evaluated the anti-GU effect of PPT in rats in an acetic acid-induced GU model. High (H-PPT) and medium (M-PPT) doses of PPT (20.0 and 10.0 mg/mg/day) significantly reduced the ulcer area and the ET-1, IL-6, EGF, SOD, MDA and TNF-α levels in serum were regulated by PPT in a dose-dependent manner. We also investigated the mechanisms of anti-GU activity of PPT based on metabolomics coupled with network pharmacology strategy. The result was that 16 biomarkers, 3 targets and 3 metabolomic pathways were identified as playing a vital role in the treatment of GU with PPT and were further validated by molecular docking. In this study, we have demonstrated that the integrated analysis of metabolomics and network pharmacology is an effective strategy for deciphering the complicated mechanisms of natural compounds.

Evaluation of Vernonia amygdalina Leaves for Gastroprotective Activity on Experimental Models of Gastric Ulcer in Rats

Background: Vernonia amygdalina del. (Arecaceae) leaf, popularly known as ‘Bitter leaf’ is widely used as a leafy vegetable in soups and in folkloric medicine against many ailments including stomach discomfort.
 Aim: The current study aimed to assess the gastroprotective effect of the crude aqueous extract of V. amygdalina leaves (AEVAL) on Hydrochloric acid (HCl)/Ethanol gastric ulcer models.
 Study Design: An animal experimental study which was conducted for 14 days.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, and Animal House, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, between May 2013 and August 2014.
 Methodology: Preliminary acute toxicity testing was performed. Twenty (25) rats were divided into five groups (n=5). Groups I and II were normal and ulcer control groups respectively. Groups III, IV and V were pretreated with cimetidine (100 mg/kg), 250 mg/kg AEVAL and 500 mg/kg AEVAL respectively. Cimetidine and AEVAL were administered intraperitoneally and orally, respectively, once daily for 7days. After drug treatments on Day 7, gastric ulcers were induced using HCl/ethanol solution (1ml/rat) prior to sacrifice. Ulcer indices and percentage ulcer inhibition were determined. The stomach tissues were excised, histologically processed and evaluated for histopathological alteration under light microscopy.
 Results: Acute toxicity testing revealed that AEVAL at a dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight did not cause any mortality. Macroscopical evaluation of the gastric mucosa revealed severe lesions following induction with HCl/ethanol. However, profound protective effects were observed with cimetidine and AEVAL (250 and 500 mg/kg) pretreatments with ulcer inhibition of 79%, 58% and 76% respectively. Histopathological findings were consistent with the macroscopical features observed.
 Conclusion: Data from this study suggest that oral treatment with V. amygdalina leaves extract exhibited gastroprotective activities against the injurious effects of acidified ethanol on the gastric mucosa of albino rats.

Gastroprotective effects of Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) extract indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model

Gastroprotective effects of Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) extract indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model

Gastroprotective effects of Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) extract indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model

Gastroprotective effects of Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) extract indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model

Gastroprotective effects of Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) extract indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the gastroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of the extract (TO) obtain from the leaves of Taraxacum officinale, which is used in the treatment of many diseases including gastric ulcers in traditional medicine, in an indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model. Forty rats, which 10 animals in each group, were divided into four groups (Control (C), TO + Indomethacin (TO+IND), Indomethacin (IND) and Omeprazole + Indomethacin (O+IND) groups). Respectively the group C was given isotonic saline, the group TO+IND was given 100 mg/kg TO extract, group IND was given isotonic saline and the group O+IND was given 5 mg/kg omeprazole orally. On the 11th day of the study, a single dose of 100 mg/kg indomethacin was administered orally to the TO+IND, IND and O+IND groups. It was determined that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were significantly increased in the IND group compared to the K group (p<0.001). However, these markers were significantly decreased in both the TO+IND (respectively p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.05) and O+IND (p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively) groups when compared with the IND group. No significant changes were observed in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels. Depending on the administration of indomethacin, it was found that the ulcer index of gastric tissue increased significantly compared to the C group but it decreased significantly as a result of TO and Omeprazole administrations (p<0.001). As a result, it was determined that Taraxacum officinale leaf extract showed significant gastroprotective effects by reducing COX-2, CRP and IL-6 levels and ulcerative area formation in gastric tissue.

Geraniol accelerates the gastric healing, minimizes ulcers recurrence, and reduces anxiolytic-like behavior in ulcerated rodents by oral or inhaled route.

Geraniol (GE) is dietary acyclicmonoterpene alcohol found in essential oils from aromatic plants with therapeutic value against gastric ulcers already described. To assess whetheroral GEaccelerates gastric healing or prevents ulcer recurrence, and to evaluate the hypothesis that GE promotes antiulcer effects by the inhaled route and that promotes changes in the behavior of ulcerated rodents. Gastric healing effects, underlining mechanisms, and behavioral changes were measured in80% acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer model in rats receiving GE by oral (30mg/kg) or inhaled route (1mg/L of air/min); whereas the effects of GE to avoid ulcer recurrence was evaluated in mice submitted to 10% acetic acid plus IL-1β ulcer. GE administered by both routes accelerates gastric healing, increasing mucin and GSH levels, CAT, and GST activities, and reducing MPO activity. Moreover, oral, and inhaled GE minimized ulcer recurrence reducing gastric TNF and IL-6 levels and preserving mucin levels. Interestingly, the inhalation or oral intake of GE promotes anxiolytic-like effects in ulcerated rats. Data altogether suggest that the GE accelerates gastric healing through the strengthening of protective factors of the gastric mucosa, promoting a quality healing that reduces the recurrence of the lesion. Besides, the anxiolytic-like effect of GE may also contribute to its gastric healing action since anxiety is recognized as one of the etiologic agents of ulcers.

Rapid and chronological expression of angiogenetic genes is a major mechanism involved in cell sheet transplantation in a rat gastric ulcer model.

IntroductionCell sheet technology has been applied in the treatment of patients with severe cardiac failure. Although the paracrine effect of cell sheets accelerating angiogenesis is thought to be the intrinsic mechanism for improvement of cardiac function, little is known about how a cell sheet would function in the abdomen.MethodsWe used acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer rat model to elucidate the mechanisms of myoblast sheet transplantation in the abdomen. Myoblast sheet was implanted onto the serosal side of the gastric ulcer and the effect of sheet transplantation was analyzed. The maximal diameter of the ulcer and the changes in the gene expression of various growth factors in transplanted site was analyzed. The progenitor marker CD34 was also examined by immunohistochemistry.ResultsCell sheet transplantation accelerated the ulcer healing. qPCR showed that angiogenic growth factors were significantly upregulated around the ulcer in the transplantation group. In addition, at first, HIF-1a and SDF-1 continued to increase from 3 h after transplantation to 72 h, then VEGF increased significantly after 24 h with a slight delay. An immunohistochemical analysis showed a statistically significant increase in CD34 positivity in the tissue around the ulcer in the transplantation group.ConclusionMyoblast sheet secreted various growth factors and cytokines immediately after transplantation onto the serosal side of artificial ulcer in the abdomen. Autonomous secretion, resulting in the time-dependent and well-orchestrated gene expression of various growth factors, plays a crucial role in the cell sheet function. Cell sheet transplantation is expected to be useful to support angiogenesis of the ischemic area in the abdominal cavity.

Enhancement of the Bioavailability and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Glycyrrhetinic Acid via Novel Soluplus®-A Glycyrrhetinic Acid Solid Dispersion.

Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is an anti-inflammatory drug with potential for development. However, the poor solubility of GA in water leads to extremely low bioavailability, which limits its clinical applications. Solid dispersions have become some of the most effective strategies for improving the solubility of poorly soluble drugs. Soluplus®, a non-cytotoxic amphiphilic solubilizer, significantly improves the solubility of BCS II drugs and improves the bioavailability of insoluble drugs. l-arginine (L-Arg) can be used as a small molecular weight excipient to assist in improving the solubility of insoluble drugs. In this study, we developed a new formulation for oral administration by reacting GA and L-Arg to form salts by co-solvent evaporation and then adding the polymer-solvent Soluplus® with an amphiphilic chemical structure to prepare a solid dispersion GA-SD. The chemical and physical properties of GA-SD were characterized by DLS, TEM, XRD, FT-IR and TG. The anti-inflammatory activity of GA-SD was verified by LPS stimulation of RAW 267.5 cells simulating a cellular inflammation model, TPA-induced ear edema model in mice, and ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model. The results showed that the amide bond and salt formation of GA-SD greatly improved GA solubility. GA-SD effectively improved the anti-inflammatory effect of free GA in vivo and in vitro, and GA-SD had no significant effect on liver and kidney function, no significant tissue toxicity, and good biosafety. In conclusion, GA-SD with L-Arg and Soluplus® is an effective method to improve the solubility and bioavailability of GA. As a safe and effective solid dispersion, it is a promising anti-inflammatory oral formulation and provides some references for other oral drug candidates with low bioavailability.

In Vitro and In Vivo Investigation on the Effectiveness of Alginate-Based Gastric Mucosal Protective Gel.

Objective To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of an alginate-based gastric mucosal protective gel on the gastric ulcer. Methods (1) In the physical protection model, after GES-1 cell attachment add the gel to transwell chamber, add different concentrations of HCl to the gel. Absorbance was measured to assess proliferation and images of the cells migrating into the wound were taken; then the migration rate of the cells was quantified by comparing images. (2) In the gastric ulcer model, excise the gastric mucosal of SD rats; the gel and fixative were applied on the artificial ulcer immediately. Dissect rats after 10 days, and calculate the wound healing rate and analyzed histology changes. Results The effect of hydrochloric acid on cells in the lower layer was significantly reduced after the use of gastric mucosal protection gel. The protective gel had an isolation effect on different concentrations of acid. A number of GES-1 were significantly higher than those in the control group at 24 h to 72 h (P < 0.01). The migration was observed compared with the control group. The average healing rate of ulcer in the gel group was about 50%, and the control group was about 30%. Inflammation occurred in all wound regions after ten days. In the gel group, inflammatory infiltration depth was lower than that of the control, and part of SD rats' new muscle layer appeared without inflammatory infiltration. The connective tissue proliferation promoted tissue repair. In the control group, necrosis marginal, mucosal hyperplasia, marginal lymphocyte aggregation, and bleeding were observed. Conclusion This novel gel mainly has an isolating and shielding effect to prevent the wound from being exposed to gastric acid for a long time, and it can reduce the inflammatory reaction on the wounds to promote the healing of the ulcer. The gastric mucosal protective gel cannot only promote the speed of wound healing but also improve the quality of wound healing.

Metabolic Profiling of Heliotropium crispum Aerial Parts Using HPLC and FTIR and In Vivo Evaluation of Its Anti-Ulcer Activity Using an Ethanol Induced Acute Gastric Ulcer Model.

This study explored the antiulcer potential of methanol extract and fractions of Heliotropium crispum roots against the ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in rats. Metabolic profiling of H. crispum aerial parts using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the presence of different metabolites with various functional groups. Meanwhile, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) revealed the presence of three main peaks assigned to myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol. In vivo, antiulcer activity results showed that the disease control group displayed five tiny ulcers less than 2 mm in diameter in addition to two hemorrhagic streaks. However, in the standard control group, only one small ulcer was visible for the total methanol extract. Gastric tissues and contents were evaluated to determine many parameters such as ulcer score, ulcer index, percentage inhibition of ulcer, gastric pH, gastric juice volume, and acidity. Results were endorsed by histopathological evaluation; gastric pH and mucus content were significantly increased, but gastric juice volume was significantly decreased. All fractions showed a significant decrease in ulcer index and % inhibition except the n-hexane fraction, whose results were insignificant compared to the disease control group. Thus, it was concluded that H. crispum shows an antiulcer effect by decreasing gastric juice volume and acidity, whereas gastric pH and mucus contents were increased that is attributed to the synergistic action of its detected polyphenolic compounds.

Revealing the Active Compounds and Mechanism of Banxia Xiexin Decoction Against Gastric Ulcer by Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Gastric ulcer (GU) is a clinically common gastrointestinal disease with a long disease course that frequently reoccurs. Banxia Xiexin decoction (BXD), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, has a prominent protective effect against GU. Nonetheless, the therapeutic mechanisms of BXD against GU remain elusive. In this study, a rat model of GU was established by gavage with 95% ethanol, and BXD significantly attenuated the inflammatory effect of GU in rats. An “active ingredient–target” interaction and GU protein–protein interaction networks were constructed based on system biology, which could screen out the crucial active ingredients. The target protein–protein interaction network for the BXD treatment of GU was constructed to identify the key target proteins with network topology parameters. The DAVID database was then used to perform Gene Ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis on the proteins targeted by BXD in the treatment of GU. Finally, molecular docking technology was used to study the interactions between key active ingredients and core target proteins. A total of 89 active ingredients of BXD were screened and 63 target proteins of BXD in the treatment of GU were identified. Through the analysis of protein–protein interaction and the active ingredient–target protein network diagram, it was found that tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), AKT1, and PTGS2 may play a key role in the treatment of GU by BXD. Molecular docking showed that these 3 core target proteins had a good affinity with the main components of BXD, including baicalein, norwogonin, and skullcapflavone II. The mechanism of BXD against GU may involve the inhibition of inflammatory response and oxidative stress, involving signaling pathways such as TNF, hypoxia-inducible factor-1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase. Network pharmacology and molecular docking technology indicated the key active ingredients, target proteins, and signal pathways that may be the biological basis of BXD in the treatment of GU.

Guanxinning tablet inhibits the interaction between leukocyte integrin Mac-1 and platelet GPIbα for antithrombosis without increased bleeding risk.

Recent studies have showed that thrombosis is closely related to leucocytes involved in immunity. Interfering with the binding of leukocyte integrin Mac-1 and platelet GPIbα can inhibit thrombosis without affecting physiological coagulation. Mac-1-GPIbα is proposed as a potential safety target for antithrombotic agents. Guanxinning tablet (GXNT) is an oral Chinese patent medicine used for the treatment of angina pectoris, which contains phenolic acid active ingredients, such as salvianolic acids, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tanshinol, and protocatechualdehyde. Our previous studies demonstrated that GXN exhibited significant antithrombotic effects, and clinical studies suggested that it did not increase bleeding risk. In addition, GXN exerted a significantly regulatory effect on immune inflammation. In the current study, we intended to evaluate the effects of GXN on bleeding events and explore the safety antithrombotic mechanism of GXN based on leukocyte-platelet interaction. First, we established a gastric ulcer model induced by acetic acid in rats and found that GXN not only did not increase the degree of gastrointestinal bleeding when gastric ulcer occurred, but also had a certain promoting effect on the healing of gastric ulcer. Second, in vitroexperiments showed that after pretreatment with GXN and activation by phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), the adhesion and aggregation of leukocytes with human platelets were reduced. It was also found that GXN reduced the expression and activation of Mac-1 in leucocytes, and inhibited platelet activation due to leukocyte engagement via Mac-1. Overall, the results suggest that GXN may be a safe antithrombotic agent, and its low bleeding risk mechanism is probably related to inhibited leukocyte-platelet aggregation and its interaction target Mac-1-GPIbα.

EVALUATION OF ANTI-GASTRIC ULCER ACTIVITY OF THE FRUIT EXTRACTS OF TERMINALIA BELLERICA ROXB IN EXPERIMENTAL RODENTS

Terminalia bellirica Roxb (T. bellirica, Combretaceae), known as Bahera or Beleric or bastard myrobalan is a large deciduous tree common on plains and lower hills in Southeast Asia, where it is also grown as an avenue tree. Glycoside, tannins, gallic acid, ellagic acid, ethyl galate, gallyl glucose, chebulanic acid are the main active phytoconstituents of medicinal importance. These phytoconstituents are responsible for many of the pharmacological roles. Different parts of the tree have various medicinal activities. In the present study, ethyl acetate and ethanolic extract of T. bellirica fruits, at the doses of 250 and 500mg/kg was evaluated for the anti-gastric ulcer activity using experimental gastric ulcer models induced by ethanol and aspirin. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of triterpenoids, saponins, phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, carbohydrate and glycosides. The parameters taken to assess anti-gastric ulcer activity were volume of gastric secretion, pH, free acidity, total acidity, ulcer index and histopathological studies of the stomach epithelium. The results indicate that the ethanolic and ethyl acetate extract of T. bellirica fruits produced a dosedependent reduction of the volume of gastric acid secretion, pH, free acidity, total acidity and ulcer index with respect to standard (Omeprazole 20mg/kg) used in the present study. The findings therefore indicate that ethyl acetate and ethanol extract possess anti-gastric ulcer activities in experimental animals induced by alcohol and aspirin, which might be due to presence of phenolic compound and flavonoids whose presence, was confirmed by phytochemical analysis. Therefore, this study validates its anti-gastric ulcer use in Indian folk medicine. Further investigations on isolation of specific phytochemicals and elucidating mechanisms of action are needed.

Pharmacological evaluation of newly synthesized organotin IV complex for antiulcer potential

The present study aims to investigate the newly synthesized organotin (IV) complex (2E, 2′E) dibutylstannanediyl bis (4-(4-nitrophenyl) amino)-4-oxobut-2-enoate (DTN) for its anti-ulcer potential. Characterization performed by carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy proved that all values are in the expected ranges of the new compound. Gastroprotective activity of DTN was evaluated through in-silico, anti-H. pylori, in-vitro, in-vivo, and ex-vivo proteomic analysis. In-silico analysis shows that DTN possess stable binding with protein targets involved in gastric ulcer pathophysiology. DTN exhibited an inhibitory effect against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, H. pylori and hydrogen potassium ATPase (H+/K+-ATPase). The antiulcer activity was performed using an ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in rats. Anti-oxidant profile of DTN showed a significant increase in glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione and catalase levels whereas lipid peroxidation levels were reduced. Histopathological findings confirmed that DTN protected the gastric mucosa of rats. Inflammatory markers tumor necrosis factor-alpha, nuclear factor kappa B, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin 6 and interleukin-1β were reduced and prostaglandin-E2 restored expression of these cytokines in DTN pretreated animals when analyzed by using immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot techniques. In real-time polymerase chain reaction technique, the expression of H+/K+-ATPase was downregulated in DTN pretreated group. DTN did not cause any mortality up to 400 mg/Kg. This study indicates that the newly synthesized compound DTN, possess stable binding against selected targets. DTN exhibits a gastro-protective effect, mediated via anti-H. pylori, H+/K+-ATPase inhibition, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways, exploring its therapeutic potential in gastric ulcer management.

Antiulcerative potential of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) against aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in a rabbit model

ObjectivesSweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is accredited as a functional food because of its nutraceutical compounds. These dietary components may help heal lesions and ulcer scars in the stomach. This research was designed to examine the antioxidant and antiulcerative potential of sweet potato (red skin, white flesh) against aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in a rabbit model. MethodsSweet potato samples were analyzed for in vitro analysis, such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay, total phenolic content, and total flavonoid content. In a bioefficacy study, rabbits were divided into five groups (n = 6) in which G0 received the standard diet only, G1 150 mg/kg aspirin, G2 20 mg/kg omeprazole, G3 1000 mg/kg aqueous extract of sweet potato, and G4 1000 mg/kg ethanolic extract of sweet potato. After completion of the trial, the animals were decapitated and examined for antiulcer parameters, serum analysis, and hematologic parameters. ResultsThe mean values for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, total phenolic content, and total flavonoid content were 57%, 927 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g, and 1901 µg quercetin equivalent/g, respectively. The values for gastric volume, acid output, ulcer scores and index, total oxidant status, white blood cell count, and lymphocyte count were increased significantly (P < 0.05) for the positive control group compared with G2, G3, and G4. Gastric pH and body weight at the end of the experiment were significantly reduced for the positive control group (P < 0.05) compared with G2, G3, and G4. Histology test results of gastric tissues in G1 depicted severe epithelial damage compared with G2, G3, and G4. ConclusionsThe results for the antiulcer parameters ascertained the antiulcer activity of sweet potato in aspirin-induced gastric ulcer models.

Snail Mucus Protective Effect on Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcers in Mice.

Nowadays, an increased interest in natural compounds with preventive or therapeutic potential for various diseases has been observed. Given the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of gastric ulcer (GU) and the wide range of bioactive compounds isolated from snails, this study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Cornu aspersum (Müller, 1774) mucus on ethanol-induced GUs. Male albino mice were divided into Control, Ethanol, Mucus + Ethanol and Mucus + Omeprazole treated groups. The GUs were induced by administration of 96% ethanol (10 mL/kg, per os). One hour before ulcer induction, the mice of Mucus + Ethanol group were pretreated with mucus (20 mg/kg, per os), and the mice of Mucus + Omeprazole group were pretreated with omeprazole (20 mg/kg, per os). Ethanol administration caused grave lesions of gastric mucosa and a significant decrease of glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione reductase (GR) activities. In the animals with mucus or omeprazole pre-administration compared to the Ethanol group, the following were observed: only a small number of hemorrhagic fields, significantly reduced GU index with calculated 73% protection by mucus and 78% protection by omeprazole, and significant recovery of mucosal GSH and SOD and GR activities. In addition, the mucus inhibited Helicobacter pylori growth. Thus, the protective effect of C. aspersum mucus on both gastric mucosa and gastric antioxidant potential in ethanol-induced GU model suggests that it may serve as a good tool for prevention of this disease.

Biochemical and pharmacological prospects of Citrus sinensis peel

Gastric ulcer and hepatotoxicity due to irrational drug overuse are two of the most serious conditions associated with inflammation and oxidative stress that affect the digestive system. This study aimed to experimentally evaluate the hepatoprotective/gastroprotective effects of aqueous and butanol citrus peel extracts and hesperidin in rat models of ulcer and hepatotoxicity. Acute toxicity study was performed for determining the safe dose of citrus extracts to analyze efficacy. In the experiments on hepatoprotective and gastroprotective effects, rats were classified into nine groups in each experiment: (1) negative control, (2) positive control hepatotoxic model with paracetamol (640 mg/kg)/gastric ulcer model:ethanol 70% (1 ml), (3)reference hepatoprotective:silymarin (25 mg/kg)/gastroprotective:ranitidine (50 mg/kg), and (4–9) groups treated for 2 weeks before induction of each disease with either citrus aqueous or butanol extracts or hesperidin (125–250 mg/kg). Drugs, ethanol, or tested compounds were administered orally. The levels of biochemical parameters, such as AST, ALT, NO, MDA, CRP, and ILβ6, were significantly reduced, but CAT level was increased. Postmortem examination of liver and stomach tissues of treated animals revealed marked improvement compared with positive control animals. Hesperidin exerted the best hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and gastroprotective effects, followed by butanol and then aqueous citrus peel extracts.

Antiulcer Potential of Psidium guajava Seed Extract Supported by Metabolic Profiling and Molecular Docking

One of the most severe human health problems is gastric ulceration. The main aim of our study is to explore the gastroprotective effect of the Psidium guajava seeds extract (PGE). Metabolic profiling based on LC-HRMS for the extract led to the dereplication of 23 compounds (1–23). We carried out a gastric ulcer model induced by indomethacin in male albino rats in vivo and the extract of PGE was investigated at a dose of 300 mg/kg in comparison to cimetidine (100 mg/kg). Furthermore, the assessment of gastric mucosal lesions and histopathology investigation of gastric tissue was done. It has been proved that Psidium guajava seeds significantly decreased the ulcer index and protected the mucosa from lesions. The antiulcer effect of Psidium guajava seed extract, which has the power of reducing the ensuing inflammatory reactions, can counteract the inflammation induced by indomethacin by the downregulation of relative genes expression (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). Moreover, PGE significantly downregulated the increased COX-2, TGF-β, and IGF-1 relative genes expression, confirming its beneficial effect in ulcer healing. Moreover, the possible PGE antioxidant potential was determined by in vitro assays using hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radical scavenging and revealed high antioxidant potential. Additionally, on the putatively annotated metabolites, an in silico study was conducted, which emphasized the extract’s antiulcer properties might be attributed to several sterols such as stigmasterol and campesterol. The present study provided evidence of Psidium guajava seeds considered as a potential natural gastroprotective agent.