Joana Sagradas1, Gustavo Costa2, Artur Figueirinha3, Maria Margarida Castel-Branco4, António Manuel Silvério Cabrita5, Isabel Vitória Figueiredo4, Maria Teresa Batista6. 1. Group of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Portugal. 2. Center of Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal. 3. Department of Environment, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal. 4. Group of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal. 5. Experimental Pathology Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal. 6. Center of Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: mtpmb@ff.uc.pt.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Treatment of gastric ulcers with medicinal plants is quite common in traditional medicine worldwide. Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. leaves infusion has been used in folk medicine of many tropical and subtropical regions to treat gastric disturbances. The aim of this study was to assess the potential gastroprotective activity of an essential oil-free infusion from C. citratus leaves in acute gastric lesions induced by ethanol in rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on adult male Wistar rats (234.0±22.7g) fasted for 24h but with free access to water. The extract was given orally before (prevention) or after (treatment) intragastric administration of absolute ethanol. Effects of dose (28 or 56mg/kg of body weight) and time of contact of the extract with gastric mucosa (1 or 2h) were also assessed. Animals were sacrificed, being the stomachs removed and the lesions were assessed by macroscopic observation and histopathology. RESULTS: C. citratus extract, given orally before or after ethanol, significantly (P<0.01) reduced gastric mucosal injury compared with control group (vehicle+ethanol). The effect does not appear to be dose-dependent. Results also suggested that the extract is more effective when the time of contact with gastric mucosa increases. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this assay confirm the gastroprotective activity of C. citratus extract on experimental gastric lesions induced by ethanol, contributing for the pharmacological validation of its traditional use.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Treatment of gastric ulcers with medicinal plants is quite common in traditional medicine worldwide. Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. leaves infusion has been used in folk medicine of many tropical and subtropical regions to treat gastric disturbances. The aim of this study was to assess the potential gastroprotective activity of an essential oil-free infusion from C. citratus leaves in acute gastric lesions induced by ethanol in rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on adult male Wistar rats (234.0±22.7g) fasted for 24h but with free access to water. The extract was given orally before (prevention) or after (treatment) intragastric administration of absolute ethanol. Effects of dose (28 or 56mg/kg of body weight) and time of contact of the extract with gastric mucosa (1 or 2h) were also assessed. Animals were sacrificed, being the stomachs removed and the lesions were assessed by macroscopic observation and histopathology. RESULTS:C. citratus extract, given orally before or after ethanol, significantly (P<0.01) reduced gastric mucosal injury compared with control group (vehicle+ethanol). The effect does not appear to be dose-dependent. Results also suggested that the extract is more effective when the time of contact with gastric mucosa increases. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this assay confirm the gastroprotective activity of C. citratus extract on experimental gastric lesions induced by ethanol, contributing for the pharmacological validation of its traditional use.