Gastroprotective activity of chloroform extract of Muntingia calabura and Melastoma malabathricum leaves

• Main Authors: Abdul Hamid, S.S (Author), Hizami, A. (Author), Kamisan, F.H (Author), Mahmood, N.D (Author), Mamat, S.S (Author), Mohtarrudin, N. (Author), Nasir, N. (Author), Sahmat, A. (Author), Salleh, M.Z (Author), Salleh, N.I (Author), Teh, L.K (Author), Tohid, S.F (Author), Zainol, A.S.N (Author), Zakaria, Z.A (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor and Francis Ltd 2016
• Subjects: animal; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; Animals; antioxidant; Antioxidant; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants; anti-secretory; antiulcer activity; antiulcer agent; Article; chloroform; Chloroform; controlled study; drug determination; drug effects; drug mechanism; Gastric Mucosa; gastric ulcer prevention; high performance liquid chromatography; in vitro study; in vivo study; isolation and purification; male; Male; mechanisms of action; medicinal plant; Melastoma malabathricum; Melastoma malabathricum extract; Melastomaceae; Melastomataceae; metabolism; Muntingia calabura; Muntingia calabura extract; Muntingiaceae; nonhuman; pathology; plant extract; Plant Extracts; plant leaf; Plant Leaves; polyphenol derivative; ranitidine; rat; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sprague Dawley rat; steroid; stomach mucosa; stomach pH; stomach protection; stomach secretion inhibitor; stomach ulcer; tannin derivative; triterpene derivative; unclassified drug
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher; View in Scopus
• ISBN: 13880209 (ISSN)
• ISSN: 13880209 (ISSN)
• DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2015.1085580

Context: Muntingia calabura L. (family Muntingiaceae) and Melastoma malabathricum L. (family Melastomaceae) are traditionally used to treat gastric ulcer.Objective: The present study determines the mechanisms of gastroprotective activity of the chloroform extract of leaves obtained from both the plants using several in vitro and in vivo assays.Materials and methods: Phytochemical screening, HPLC analysis, and antioxidant activity of the respective extract were carried out. Gastroprotective activity was determined using ethanol-induced gastric ulcer assay while the mechanisms of gastroprotection were determined using the pyloric ligation assay. The test solutions [8% Tween-80 (vehicle), 20 mg/kg omeprazole, and different doses of extracts (50, 250, or 500 mg/kg] were administered orally once daily for 7 consecutive days before the animals were subjected to ethanol induced gastric ulcers.Results: The chloroform-extracted M. calabura (CEMC) contains tannins, polyphenolics, triterpenes, and steroids while the chloroform-extracted M. malabathricum (CEMM) contains only triterpenes and steroids. CEMC, but not CEMM, exerted remarkably strong antioxidant activity in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)- (86% versus 16%) and superoxide- (73% versus 36%) radical scavenging assays. Both extracts demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) gastroprotection with the EC50 value recorded at 192.3 or 297.7 mg/kg, respectively. In the pylorus ligation assay, CEMC and CEMM significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the total and free acidity and volume; while increased the pH of gastric juice as well as the gastric wall mucus content in comparison with the vehicle-treated group.Discussion and conclusion: CEMC and CEMM exert gastroprotective effects in animals with ethanol-induced gastric ulcers via antioxidant and anti-secretory effects. © 2015 Taylor & Francis.