Peptic ulcers are an important pathology, and the search for safer and more effective treatment methods is of paramount importance. In this study, we assess the gastroprotective effects of the hydroethanolic extract (HE) and ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) from Kalanchoe pinnata leaves against an ethanol/HCl-induced ulcer model in rats. The HE reduced gastric lesions by approximately 47% (400 mg/kg). A significant inhibition of the gastric lesions by 50% was observed after pretreatment with the EAF (200 mg/kg). Quercetrin and quercetin 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside were isolated and identified in the flavonoid fraction (EAF) by HPLC and NMR analyses because this fraction showed the highest gastroprotective effect. This fraction demonstrated high antioxidant activities (CE 50 =41.91 µg/mL) by DPPH in comparison with Trolox ® and 11.33 mmol Trolox ® equivalent by ORAC. In conclusion, the HE and FAE from K. pinnata displayed gastroprotective activity in rats, most likely due to the presence of flavonoids.Uniterms: Gastric ulcer/study/rats. Gastric ulcer/treatment. Kalanchoe pinnata/chromatographic profile. Kalanchoe pinnata/gastroprotective activity. Quercetrin. Quercetin 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside.
INTRODUCTIONFor the past two centuries, peptic ulcers have caused high morbidity and mortality (Malfertheiner, Chan, Mccoll, 2009). This disease is a serious and prevalent pathology (Calam, Baron, 2001). A peptic ulcer is a chronic lesion, usually single, that can be located in the gastric or duodenal mucosae (Kumar, Abbas, Fausto, 2005). In the UK, the incidence of this disease was 12% higher in men than in women (Araujo, Borini, Guimarães, 2014). A review article (January 1980 to February 2009 showed that the incidence rate of uncomplicated peptic ulcers was approximately one case per 1000 people per year in the general population; the incidence rate for complicated peptic ulcers that included bleeding and perforation was approximately 0.7 cases per 1000 people per year (Lin, Rodrígues, Hernándes-Diaz, 2011).The pathophysiology of peptic ulcers suggests that this disease is caused by an imbalance between defensive factors (mucus and bicarbonate secretion, mucosal barrier, blood flow, and prostaglandins) and destructive factors (reactive oxygen species and acid and pepsin secretion), resulting in the acute inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosae (Laine, Takeuchi, Tarnawski, 2008). Several stimuli serve as offensive factors, including Helicobacter pylori, the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), stress, alcohol and cigarette smoking (Malfertheiner, Chan, Mccoll, 2009;Malnick et al., 2014). The current medical treatment for peptic ulcers is generally based on proton pump inhibitors and histamine H 2 -receptor blockers (Jain et al., 2007). However, the long-term use of these therapeutic agents can produce adverse effects, such as hypergastrinemia and hyperplasia in the enterochromaffinlike (ECL) cells, the risk of pneumonia, diarrhea and the disturbance of ...
