title: Protective effect of a plant formula on ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats.
abstract: A plant formula and its five components were evaluated independently for their gastric protective effect against ethanol-induced stomach lesions in rats. Aqueous extracts of the plant formula (0.25-2g crude drug/kg orally) and its individual components (at the same dose) all showed significant stomach protective effects dose dependently. However, when these extracts were given to rats at a dose of 0.25 g/kg, the five single-herb preparations did not show any activity, but the formula-extract still exhibited a strong protective effect. These findings suggest the presence of a synergistic effect among the plant components. Chemical examination of the extracts indicated that the major ingredients of the five plants were essential oils, terpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides and saccharides and these may contribute to the stomach protective activity observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories. minzhu@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Katherine T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.forename: Po-Lau
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D032429:Alpinia; D000818:Animals; D002957:Citrus; D030024:Curcuma; D029786:Cyperus; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D027443:Lindera; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry; D013270:Stomach / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D020011:Protective Agents; D000431:Ethanol