Prophylactic and curative effects of Bacopa monniera in gastric ulcer models

• Published in: Phytomedicine (Stuttgart) 2001-11, Vol.8 (6), p.423-430
• Main Authors: Sairam, K., Rao, Ch. V., Babu, M. Dora, Goel, R.K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic Acid - pharmacology; Animals; anti-ulcer models; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Aspirin - pharmacology; Bacopa monniera; bacosides; Catalase - drug effects; Cell Division - drug effects; Cold Temperature; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol - pharmacology; Female; Gastric Juice - drug effects; Gastric Juice - secretion; Gastric Mucosa - drug effects; Gastric Mucosa - pathology; gastric mucosal offensive and defensive factors; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Male; Mucins - drug effects; Mucins - secretion; Pepsin A - drug effects; Pepsin A - secretion; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Saponins - pharmacology; Saponins - therapeutic use; Scrophulariaceae; Stomach - drug effects; Stomach - pathology; Stomach Ulcer - chemically induced; Stomach Ulcer - drug therapy; Stomach Ulcer - prevention & control; Sucralfate - pharmacology; Superoxide Dismutase - drug effects; Triterpenes - pharmacology; Triterpenes - therapeutic use; Wound Healing - drug effects
• ISSN: 0944-7113; 1618-095X
• DOI: 10.1078/S0944-7113(04)70060-4

Bacopa monniera Wettst. (BM, syn. Herpestis monniera L; Scrophulariaceae), is an Ayurvedic drug used as a rasayana. Its fresh juice was earlier reported to have significant antiulcerogenic activity. In continuation, methanolic extract of BM (BME) standardized to bacoside-A content (percentage-38.0 ± 0.9), when given in the dose of 10–50 mg/kg, twice daily for 5 days, showed dose-dependent anti-ulcerogenic on various gastric ulcer models induced by ethanol, aspirin, 2 h cold restraint stress and 4 h pylorus ligation. BME in the dose of 20 mg/kg, given for 10 days, twice daily showed healing effects against 50% acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers. Further work was done to investigate the possible mechanisms of its action by studying its effect on various mucosal offensive acid-pepsin secretion and defensive factors like mucin secretion, mucosal cell shedding, cell proliferation and antioxidant activity in rats. BME 20 mg/kg showed no effect on acid-pepsin secretion, increased mucin secretion, while it decreased cell shedding with no effect on cell proliferation. BME showed significant antioxidant effect per se and in stressed animals. Thus, the gastric prophylactic and curative effects of BME may be due to its predominant effect on mucosal defensive factors.