Gastric ulcer healing effects of ethanolic extract of Emilia praetermissa Milne-redh (Asteraceae)

Abstract

Emilia praetermissa is a plant which is used traditionally to treatment several diseases including gastric ulcers, and the ethanolic extract has reported cytoprotective anti-ulcer effects. The present study evaluated the healing effects of the ethanolic extract on chronic gastric ulcers using two chronic gastric ulcer models: glacial acetic acid and ethanol/aspirin solution-induced chronic gastric ulcer. Possible mechanisms of action were evaluated by testing the neutralizing effect (in vitro) of extract, and its cytoprotective activity against indomethacin in rats pretreated with L-NAME. The extract significantly healed chronic gastric ulcer induced by glacial acetic acid and by ethanol/aspirin solution (healing % = 85.92 and 100%, respectively, at the dose of 500 mg/kg). In neutralizing capacity tests, initial pH values at 25 °C were; sodium bicarbonate solution (9.28), gastric juice (2.90), and E. praetermissa extract (4.09). Incubation of sodium bicarbonate and gastric juice increased the pH of the gastric juice from 2.90 to 8.75 at 25 °C and from 2.06 to 8.20 at 37 °C. Incubation of E. praetermissa extract with gastric juice increased the pH of the gastric juice from 2.90 to 3.15 at 25 °C, and from 2.06 to 4.07 at 37 °C. Pre-treatment of rats with L-NAME significantly reduced the amount of nitrite in gastric mucus and further increased the ulcer index, but the extract reversed these effects. The extract of E. praetermissa possesses healing and anti-acid properties.