Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Gastroprotective Activity and Mechanisms of Action of Bauhinia purpurea Linn (Leguminoseae) Leaf Methanol Extract

MFF Kamarolzaman⁴, F Yahya⁴, SS Mamat⁴, KF Jakius⁴, ND Mahmood⁴, MS Shahril⁴, N Mohtarrudin³, Z Suhaili², ZA Zakaria¹

¹Halal Product Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor; ²Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 20300 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu; ³Department of Pathology; ⁴Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

For correspondence:- Zakaria Email: zaz@upm.edu.my Tel:+60389472654

Received: 30 January 2014 Accepted: 29 September 2014 Published: 24 November 2014

Citation: Kamarolzaman M, Yahya F, Mamat S, Jakius K, Mahmood N, Shahril M, et al. Gastroprotective Activity and Mechanisms of Action of Bauhinia purpurea Linn (Leguminoseae) Leaf Methanol Extract. Trop J Pharm Res 2014; 13(11):1889-1898 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v13i11.17

© 2014 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To determine the gastroprotective activity and mechanisms of protection of the methanol extract of Bauhinia purpurea leaves (MEBP) using ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model.

Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 6) were administered orally with 10 % DMSO, 100 mg/kg ranitidine or MEBP (50, 250 and 500 mg / kg) daily for 7 consecutive days prior to subjection to the ethanol-induced gastric ulcer assay. The mechanisms of gastroprotection were determined based on: i) antisecretory activity via pylorus ligation assay; ii) the role of nitric oxide (NO) and sulfhydryl group via pre-treatment of MEBP-treated rats with the respective N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or carbenoxolone (CBX) followed by the ethanol-induced assay; and iii) antioxidant activity using superoxide anion radical scavenging assay and, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Ranitidine (100 mg / kg) was used as the reference drug. .

Results: MEBP exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent gastroprotective activity against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer with ulcer formation ranging between 0 and 74 % (indicated by decrease in ulcer area from 21.3 to 5.5 mm²). The macroscopic observation was in line with the microscopic findings and further supported by the histological scores suggesting the antiulcer potential of MEBP. MEBP also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced volume gastric juice, as well as its free and total acidity while increasing its pH. Moreover, this activity was significantly (p < 0.05) modulated in the presence of sulfhydryl group, but not NO. The extract also exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity.

Conclusion: MEBP exerts gastroprotective activity partly via its antisecretory and antioxidant activities, as well as by modulation of sulfhydryl group, but not NO action.

Keywords: Bauhinia purpurea, Gastroprotective activity, Gastric ulcer, Sulfhydryl group, Anti-secretory activity, Antioxidant