Antiulcerogenic activity of the ethanolic extract of Licania macrophylla Benth

Abstract

The Licania macrophylla Benth species, popularly known as “anauerá”, “anuera”, “anoerá”, “ana-wyra” and “wayãpi”, is widely found in the Amazon. Here, riverine communities use different parts of the plant for the treatment of amoebiasis, dysenteric disorders, wound healing and anti-inflammatory actions. The present study aims to investigate the gastroprotective activity of ethanolic extract of L. macrophylla stem bark in experimental animals. For this purpose, different experimental models for gastric ulcer induction were performed, such as absolute ethanol (99.5%), acidified ethanol (60%/0.3M HCl), and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug model (indomethacin). In this study, 25-30g female Swiss mice were used for the absolute and acidified ethanol experimental models, and 200-300g female Wistar rats were used for the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug model. Each experimental model was divided into groups of five (5) animals for each tested dose of L. macrophylla extract (100, 250 and 625 mg/kg), as well as for the negative (vehicle) and positive (carbenoxolone) control groups. All administrations were performed orally, with a volume ratio of a maximum of 10 ml/kg body weight for mice and 100 ml/kg for rats. After each experiment, stomachs were evaluated to determine the following parameters: total lesion area, ulcer percentage, ulcerative lesion index, cure percentage. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett post-test, considering significant values when p<0.05. The ethanolic extract of L. macrophylla showed gastroprotective effect against gastric lesions induced by absolute ethanol, significantly reducing the established parameters (250 and 625 mg/kg), promoting a cure rate of 53.76±5.71% and 84.15±1.89%, respectively. For the experimental protocol performed with acidified ethanol the results showed that the animals treated with the L. macrophylla ethanolic extract at the doses of 250 and 625 mg/kg, lesions decreased significantly when analyzing the established parameters, obtaining as a cure percentage of 52.34±4.83% and 83.86±2.46%, respectively. The ethanolic extract of L. macrophylla in the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gastric lesion induction model was able to significantly reduce lesions for all doses tested (100, 250 and 625 mg/kg) in the established parameters, with a cure percentage (%) of 84.46±1.33%, 75.00±3.71% and 72.27±2.06%, respectively. In conclusion, L. macrophylla extract demonstrates antiulcerogenic activity in the acid and absolute ethanol induction models, as well as in the ulcer model induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with significant gastroprotective activity.