In vivo inhibition of gastric acid secretion by the aqueous extract of Scoparia dulcis L. in rodents

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2007-05, Vol.111 (2), p.403-408
• Main Authors: Mesía-Vela, Sonia, Bielavsky, Monica, Torres, Luce Maria Brandão, Freire, Sonia Maria, Lima-Landman, Maria Teresa R., Souccar, Caden, Lapa, Antonio José
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aerial parts; Animals; anti-ulcer activity; Anti-Ulcer Agents - pharmacology; Antiacid; Antiulcer; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; chemical constituents of plants; Crosses, Genetic; digestive system diseases; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Female; flavonoids; gastric acid; Gastric Acid - secretion; Gastric Acidity Determination; Gastric Mucosa - drug effects; Gastric Mucosa - secretion; General pharmacology; H +,K +-ATPase; Ligation; Male; Medical sciences; Medicinal plant; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Pylorus - surgery; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Scoparia - chemistry; Scoparia dulcis; Scrophulariaceae; secretion; Stomach - drug effects; Stomach - metabolism; stomach ulcers; Water - chemistry
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2006.12.009

The freeze-dried aqueous extract (AE) from the aerial parts of Scoparia dulcis was tested for its effects on experimental gastric hypersecretion and ulcer in rodents. Administration of AE to animals with 4 h pylorus ligature potently reduced the gastric secretion with ED 50s of 195 mg/kg (rats) and 306 mg/kg (mice). The AE also inhibited the histamine- or bethanechol-stimulated gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated mice with similar potency suggesting inhibition of the proton pump. Bio-guided purification of the AE yielded a flavonoid-rich fraction (BuF), with a specific activity 4–8 times higher than the AE in the pylorus ligature model. BuF also inhibited the hydrolysis of ATP by H +,K +-ATPase with an IC 50 of 500 μg/ml, indicating that the inhibition of gastric acid secretion of Scoparia dulcis is related to the inhibition of the proton pump. Furthermore, the AE inhibited the establishment of acute gastric lesions induced in rats by indomethacin (ED 50 = 313 mg/kg, p.o.) and ethanol (ED 50 = 490 mg/kg, p.o.). No influence of the AE on gastrointestinal transit allowed discarding a possible CNS or a cholinergic interaction in the inhibition of gastric secretion by the AE. Collectively, the present data pharmacologically validates the popular use of Scoparia dulcis in gastric disturbances.