Keywords
gastropathies
gastric ulceration
plant extracts
Acorus calamus
bioflavonoids
gastroprotection
How to Cite
Abstract
In press
Background. The high prevalence of gastric ulcer disease and other forms of gastric mucosal damage induced by glucocorticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs necessitates the search for new effective gastroprotective agents, particularly those based on herbal raw materials.
Aim. To evaluate the gastroprotective effect of a new pharmaceutical composition in tablet form based on dry sweet flag (Acorus calamus) leaf extract with quercetin ("Airtin") on a model of ethanol-prednisolone-induced gastric damage.
Materials and Methods. The study was conducted on 30 white outbred rats divided into 5 groups of 6 animals each: group 1 – intact control; group 2 – ethanol-prednisolone-induced damage without treatment; group 3 – dry sweet flag leaf extract "Airtin" 30 mg/kg and quercetin 5 mg/kg; group 4 – reference drug ("Vikair" 60 mg/kg); group 5 – reference drug (omeprazole 1.2 mg/kg). Preventive treatment was administered for 3 days before pathology induction and once after it. The state of the gastric mucosa (GM) was assessed by light microscopy of histological specimens stained with hematoxylin-eosin and by the Schiff method (PAS reaction). A semi-quantitative scoring system was used to evaluate the depth of lesions, stromal edema, hemorrhagic manifestations, and the intensity of mucoid secretion (PAS reaction). Statistical data processing was performed using Statistica 6.0 and MedStat 5.2 software with non-parametric criteria. State registration of the research topic 0114U000956.
Research Ethics. The work was performed in compliance with international and national bioethical principles, in particular the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes (Strasbourg, 1986), according to the protocol of the National University of Pharmacy (Kharkiv, Ukraine) Bioethics Commission.
Results. "Airtin" demonstrated a pronounced protective effect: 4 out of 6 animals in the group showed no signs of destructive-inflammatory process. The scores for lesion depth, stromal edema, and hemorrhages were significantly lower by 92%, 59%, and 73%, respectively, compared to the pathology control group (p≤0.05). The intensity of the PAS reaction was 72% of the intact control. "Omeprazole" also showed efficacy, reducing the analogous scores by 87%, 54%, and 33%. "Vikair" did not provide a significant improvement in morphological parameters.
Conclusions. The new pharmaceutical composition based on sweet flag leaf extract with quercetin reliably exhibits a gastroprotective effect, reducing destructive-inflammatory changes in the GM due to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, membrane-stabilizing effects, and stimulation of mucus formation. Its activity is not inferior to omeprazole and exceeds the effectiveness of the "Vikair" drug, indicating the prospects for further research aimed at creating a new phytopreparation.
Keywords: phytotherapy, gastropathies, gastric ulceration, plant extracts, Acorus calamus, bioflavonoids, gastroprotection.
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