Gastroprotective activity of Nigella sativa L oil and its constituent, thymoquinone against acute alcohol-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of reactive oxygen species in the pathogenesis of acute ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesions and the effect of Nigella sativa L oil (NS) and its constituent thymoquinone (TQ) in an experimental model.


METHODS
Male Wistar albino rats were assigned into 4 groups. Control group was given physiologic saline orally (10 mL/kg body weight) as the vehicle (gavage); ethanol group was administrated 1 mL (per rat) absolute alcohol by gavage; the third and fourth groups were given NS (10 mL/kg body weight) and TQ (10 mg/kg body weight p.o) respectively 1 h prior to alcohol intake. One hour after ethanol administration, stomach tissues were excised for macroscopic examination and biochemical analysis.


RESULTS
NS and TQ could protect gastric mucosa against the injurious effect of absolute alcohol and promote ulcer healing as evidenced from the ulcer index (UI) values. NS prevented alcohol-induced increase in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), an index of lipid peroxidation. NS also increased gastric glutathione content (GSH), enzymatic activities of gastric superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). Likewise, TQ protected against the ulcerating effect of alcohol and mitigated most of the biochemical adverse effects induced by alcohol in gastric mucosa, but to a lesser extent than NS. Neither NS nor TQ affected catalase activity in gastric tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
Both NS and TQ, particularly NS can partly protect gastric mucosa from acute alcohol-induced mucosal injury, and these gastroprotective effects might be induced, at least partly by their radical scavenging activity.
Kanter
Mehmet
M
Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey. mehmetkanter65@hotmail.com
Demir
Halit
H
Karakaya
Cengiz
C
Ozbek
Hanefi
H
D000818:Animals; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D031844:Nigella / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D016227:Benzoquinones; D010938:Plant Oils; D028321:Plant Preparations; D000431:Ethanol; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione; C003466:thymoquinone