title: Beneficial effects of Foeniculum vulgare on ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal injury in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the anti-ulcerogenic and antioxidant effects of aqueous extracts of Foeniculum vulgare (FVE) on ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  FVE was administered by gavage at doses of 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg, and famotidine was used at the dose of 20 mg/kg. Following a 60 min period, all the rats were given 1 mL of ethanol (80%) by gavage. One hour after the administration of ethanol, all groups were sacrificed, and the gastric ulcer index was calculated; whole blood malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH), serum nitrate, nitrite, ascorbic acid, retinol and beta-carotene levels were measured in all the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that pretreatment with FVE significantly reduced ethanol-induced gastric damage. This effect of FVE was highest and statistically significant in 300 mg/kg group compared with the control (4.18 +/- 2.81 vs 13.15 +/- 4.08, P < 0.001). Also, pretreatment with FVE significantly reduced the MDA levels, while significantly increased GSH, nitrite, nitrate, ascorbic acid, retinol and beta-carotene levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FVE has clearly a protective effect against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesion, and this effect, at least in part, depends upon the reduction in lipid peroxidation and augmentation in the antioxidant activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih Mehmet
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Birdane
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cemek
authors.forename: Yavuz Osman
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Birdane
authors.forename: Ilhami
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gülçin
authors.forename: Mehmet Emin
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Büyükokuroğlu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D030001:Foeniculum; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005978:Glutathione