title: Effects of Morinda citrifolia aqueous fruit extract and its biomarker scopoletin on reflux esophagitis and gastric ulcer in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dried mature unripe Morinda citrifolia L. (Rubiaceae) fruit, commonly known as "Noni", in an aqueous extract preparation (AFE) as used in Thai traditional medicine and its biomarker scopoletin on gastro-esophageal inflammatory models that are related to the claimed pharmacological properties of AFE and/or resembled the human esophagitis or gastric ulcer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The powder of dried mature unripe Noni fruit was boiled in water until it became a sticky paste and was then dried into a powder by lyophilization. The pharmacological activity of AFE and pure scopoletin at the same equivalent dose present in AFE was investigated in rat on gastro-esophageal inflammatory models (acid reflux esophagitis, acute gastritis induced by ethanol and serotonin, and chronic gastric ulcer induced by acetic acid); gastric biochemical parameters and gastrointestinal motility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AFE (0.63-2.50 g/kg) significantly prevented the formation of acid reflux esophagitis, reduced the formation of ethanol-induced acute gastric lesions, suppressed the development of gastric lesions in response to serotonin, and accelerated the healing of acetic acid-induced chronic gastric ulcer in rats with equal potency to those obtained by standard antisecretory agents (ranitidine and lansoprazole). AFE also significantly inhibited gastric acid secretion and pepsin activity in pylorus ligated rats. Additionally, AFE strongly increased the gastrointestinal transit of charcoal meal with a higher potency than cisapride. Pure scopoletin, when compared at the same equivalent dose containing in AFE, possessed similar antiulcer and antisecretory properties to that of AFE although it exerted a less prokinetic activity than AFE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicated that AFE as well as its biomarker: scopoletin may be beneficial as a potential preventive and therapeutic agent for gastro-esophageal inflammatory diseases, mainly through its antisecretory and prokinetic activities including an inhibitory activity on serotonin, free radicals, and cytokine-mediated inflammation. Additionally, scopoletin might be one of the biomarker constituents to use for the quality assessment of Noni fruit products used for treating gastro-esophageal inflammatory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand. sirima.m@psu.ac.th
authors.forename: Sirima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahattanadul
authors.forename: Wibool
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ridtitid
authors.forename: Sawpheeyah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nima
authors.forename: Narubodee
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Phdoongsombut
authors.forename: Pranee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ratanasuwon
authors.forename: Srirat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasiwong
mesh_terms: D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D019342:Acetic Acid; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D020117:Cisapride / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005638:Fruit; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000187:drug effects; D064747:Lansoprazole; D008297:Male; D032066:Morinda / Q000737:chemistry*; D010434:Pepsin A / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011899:Ranitidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012603:Scopoletin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013270:Stomach / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles; D015415:Biomarkers; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D064747:Lansoprazole; D012701:Serotonin; D011899:Ranitidine; D010434:Pepsin A; D012603:Scopoletin; D019342:Acetic Acid; D020117:Cisapride