EVALUATION OF ANTIULCER ACTIVITY OF BERRIES AGAINST ETHANOL INDUCED GASTRIC ULCER

Abstract

Current therapies against H. pylori eradication involve the administration of proton pump inhibitors in combination with antibiotics; however, the development of resistant strains and poor compliance of patients have made the process of eradication complicated; furthermore the use of gastric acid suppressors in H. pylori therapies has shown to increases the risk of pneumonia and hip fractures. For all these reasons it is very important to find new strategies for the treatment of gastric diseases. Studies in vitro and in vivo demonstrate that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of some foods are due to their polyphenol content . Plant rich in tannins have a traditional use for treating gastric ulcer, and tannins showed anti-bacterial activity against H. pylori. The chemical composition of tannins depend on the fruit source, sanguiin H-6 and lambertianin C representing the main compounds in blackberry and raspberry. On this basis, the aim of this research was to clarify the anti-

ulcer effect of the extracts enriched in tannins from berries at gastric level. Gastric damage was assessed in a blind manner by a scoring system based on the number and severity of the lesions: 0, no lesions; 1, lesions 1–2 mm; 2, lesions 2–3 mm; 3, lesions 3 mm. Hence it was observed that the number of lesions was reduced in the rats treated with the extract of wild berries showing its protective effect against ethanol induced ulcers.