title: Gastroprotective activity of chloroform extract of Muntingia calabura and Melastoma malabathricum leaves.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Muntingia calabura L. (family Muntingiaceae) and Melastoma malabathricum L. (family Melastomaceae) are traditionally used to treat gastric ulcer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study determines the mechanisms of gastroprotective activity of the chloroform extract of leaves obtained from both the plants using several in vitro and in vivo assays.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phytochemical screening, HPLC analysis, and antioxidant activity of the respective extract were carried out. Gastroprotective activity was determined using ethanol-induced gastric ulcer assay while the mechanisms of gastroprotection were determined using the pyloric ligation assay. The test solutions [8% Tween-80 (vehicle), 20 mg/kg omeprazole, and different doses of extracts (50, 250, or 500 mg/kg] were administered orally once daily for 7 consecutive days before the animals were subjected to ethanol induced gastric ulcers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The chloroform-extracted M. calabura (CEMC) contains tannins, polyphenolics, triterpenes, and steroids while the chloroform-extracted M. malabathricum (CEMM) contains only triterpenes and steroids. CEMC, but not CEMM, exerted remarkably strong antioxidant activity in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)- (86% versus 16%) and superoxide- (73% versus 36%) radical scavenging assays. Both extracts demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) gastroprotection with the EC50 value recorded at 192.3 or 297.7 mg/kg, respectively. In the pylorus ligation assay, CEMC and CEMM significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the total and free acidity and volume; while increased the pH of gastric juice as well as the gastric wall mucus content in comparison with the vehicle-treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CEMC and CEMM exert gastroprotective effects in animals with ethanol-induced gastric ulcers via antioxidant and anti-secretory effects.
authors.affiliation: a Halal Product Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Malaysia .|b Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute (iPROMISE), Level 7, FF3, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Puncak Alam Campus , Selangor , Malaysia .|c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Zainul Amiruddin
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Zakaria
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Amal Syahirah Nur
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Zainol
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Adibah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sahmat
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Nurul Izzah
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Salleh
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Azfar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hizami
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Nur Diyana
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Nurliana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nasir
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Siti Syariah
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mamat
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Farah Hidayah
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Kamisan
authors.affiliation: d Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Serdang , Malaysia , and.
authors.forename: Norhafizah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mohtarrudin
authors.affiliation: e Medical Technology Division , Malaysian Nuclear Agency , Selangor , Malaysia.
authors.forename: Siti Selina
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Abdul Hamid
authors.affiliation: a Halal Product Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia , Selangor , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Siti Farah
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Tohid
authors.affiliation: b Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute (iPROMISE), Level 7, FF3, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Puncak Alam Campus , Selangor , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Lay Kek
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Teh
authors.affiliation: b Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute (iPROMISE), Level 7, FF3, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Puncak Alam Campus , Selangor , Malaysia .
authors.forename: Mohd Zaki
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Salleh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D002725:Chloroform / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D035322:Melastomataceae; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002725:Chloroform
keywords: Antioxidant; Melastomaceae; Muntingiaceae; anti-secretory; gastric ulcer prevention; mechanisms of action