Gastroprotective activity of Solanum torvum leaves in the ethanol-induced gastric injury model in Wistar rats and possible mechanism of action

Abstract

Peptic ulcer disease is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders affecting the population. Currently, proton pump inhibitors are the most commonly used medications for the treatment of this condition. However, their long-term use is associated with adverse effects, so the search for new drugs is essential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the gastroprotective activity of Solanum torvum. Extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol), fractions of the methanolic extract, and a mixture of S. torvum compounds were evaluated in a model of ethanol-induced gastric injury in Wistar rats. The inhibitors L-NAME and indomethacin, or the sulfhydryl blocker NEM, were used to determine their mechanism of action. The methanolic extract was the most active, achieving 75.1 ± 4.5% gastroprotection at 100 mg/kg. From the column chromatography fractionation of this extract, fraction F3 was the most active, giving 78.5 ± 8.79% gastroprotection. About the mixture of compounds isolated from this fraction, the maximum effect was reached at the 100 mg/kg dose, achieving 83.07 ± 3.86% gastroprotection. Regarding the possible mechanism of action, it seems that only nitric oxide is involved.