Role of Blepharis maderaspatensis and Ammannia baccifera plant extracts on in vitro oxygen radical scavenging, secretion of gastric fluid and gastroprotection on ulcer induced rats

Context: Blepharis maderaspatensis L. Roth (BM) (Acanthaceae) and Ammannia baccifera L. (AB) (Lythraceae) are used in folk medicine for various stomach disorders. Objective: The chloroform and ethanol extracts of both plants were evaluated for antioxidant, gastric antisecretory, and gastroprotective properties. Methods: Antioxidant properties of the extracts were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging assay. The gastric antisecretory properties of the extracts were assessed, at a dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg, using aspirin-pylorus ligation induced gastric ulcer models and the gastroprotective activity of the extracts was assessed, at a dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg, using HCl-ethanol induced ulcer models in rats. Results and discussion: Ethanol extract of BM (EBM) possessed good antioxidant property with IC50 values of 37.4 and 44.1 mu g/mL in DPPH and NO scavenging assays respectively, where 25-250 mu g/mL concentration in DPPH assay and 30-300 mu g/mL concentration in NO scavenging assay were used. Ethanol extract of AB (EAB) at a dose of 200 mg/kg reduced the free acidity to 142.66 mEq/L and total acidity to 451.22 mEq/l. It reduced the gastric secretion with increase in pH from 2.2 to 3.15. Possessing good antisecretory activity, it also reduced the ulcer by 92.2% in aspirin and pylorus ligation induced gastric ulcer models. EAB increased the mucus secretion and adherent mucus in the tissues with a 71.43% reduction of ulcerin HCl-ethanol induced ulcer models, at a dose of 200 mg/kg. This activity can be attributed to the various flavonoids like rutin and kaempferol-3-O-beta-glucopyranoside, and the phytosterol, beta-sitosterol-3-O-beta-glucopyranoside, and phenolics present in the extracts. Conclusion: EBM possessed significant antioxidant property while EAB possessed good antisecretory and gastroprotective activity.