Evaluation of Gastroprotective Effect of Betalain-Rich Ethanol Extract from Opuntia stricta var. Dillenii Employing an In Vivo Rat Model
Saber Abdelkader Saïdi, Turki M. Al-Shaikh, Khaled Hamden
Abstract
The goal of this study is to investigate the antiulcer effects of betalain-rich extract (BRE). Gastric ulcer was induced by the administration of ethanol by gastric gavage route. This study showed that the supplementation of the BRE from pulp and peel at 800 mg/kg to rats with ethanol-induced gastric-ulcer significantly reduced the volume of gastric secretion (VGS) by 35% ( <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <a:mi>p</a:mi> <a:mo>=</a:mo> <a:mn>0.001</a:mn> </a:math> ) and 34% ( <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"> <c:mi>p</c:mi> <c:mo>=</c:mo> <c:mn>0.0009</c:mn> </c:math> ), the ulcer index (UI) by 41% ( <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3"> <e:mi>p</e:mi> <e:mo>=</e:mo> <e:mn>0.001</e:mn> </e:math> ) and 68% ( <g:math xmlns:g="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4"> <g:mi>p</g:mi> <g:mo>=</g:mo> <g:mn>0.0008</g:mn> </g:math> ), and the curative radio (CR) by 41% and 68%, respectively, as compared to untreated ethanol-induced gastric ulcer. In addition, the administration of pulp and peel BRE to rats at dose 800 mg/kg significantly attenuates the variation in pH of gastric juice ( <i:math xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M5"> <i:mi>p</i:mi> <i:mo>=</i:mo> <i:mn>0.008</i:mn> </i:math> and <k:math xmlns:k="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M6"> <k:mi>p</k:mi> <k:mo>=</k:mo> <k:mn>0.001</k:mn> </k:math> ) and its total acidity (TA) ( <m:math xmlns:m="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M7"> <m:mi>p</m:mi> <m:mo>=</m:mo> <m:mn>0.001</m:mn> </m:math> and <o:math xmlns:o="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M8"> <o:mi>p</o:mi> <o:mo>=</o:mo> <o:mn>0.001</o:mn> </o:math> ). The antiulcer effect of BRE was confirmed by macroscopic and histological evaluation. Furthermore, pulp and peel BRE attenuated gastric ulcer-induced stress oxidants in rats’ stomachs showed by a significant decrease in the lipid peroxidation rate ( <q:math xmlns:q="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M9"> <q:mi>p</q:mi> <q:mo>=</q:mo> <q:mn>0.007</q:mn> </q:math> and <s:math xmlns:s="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M10"> <s:mi>p</s:mi> <s:mo>=</s:mo> <s:mn>0.001</s:mn> </s:math> ) and LDH activity ( <u:math xmlns:u="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M11"> <u:mi>p</u:mi> <u:mo>=</u:mo> <u:mn>0.01</u:mn> </u:math> and <w:math xmlns:w="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M12"> <w:mi>p</w:mi> <w:mo>=</w:mo> <w:mn>0.008</w:mn> </w:math> ) and a potential increase in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) ( <y:math xmlns:y="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M13"> <y:mi>p</y:mi> <y:mo>=</y:mo> <y:mn>0.01</y:mn> </y:math> and <ab:math xmlns:ab="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M14"> <ab:mi>p</ab:mi> <ab:mo>=</ab:mo> <ab:mn>0.008</ab:mn> </ab:math> ), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) ( <cb:math xmlns:cb="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M15"> <cb:mi>p</cb:mi> <cb:mo>=</cb:mo> <cb:mn>0.006</cb:mn> </cb:math> and <eb:math xmlns:eb="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M16"> <eb:mi>p</eb:mi> <eb:mo>=</eb:mo> <eb:mn>0.001</eb:mn> </eb:math> ), and catalase (CAT) ( <gb:math xmlns:gb="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M17"> <gb:mi>p</gb:mi> <gb:mo>=</gb:mo> <gb:mn>0.001</gb:mn> </gb:math> and <ib:math xmlns:ib="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M18"> <ib:mi>p</ib:mi> <ib:mo>=</ib:mo> <ib:mn>0.0009</ib:mn> </ib:math> ). Conclusion. Therefore, this study shows for the first time that BRE, a natural colorant from O. stricta, is efficient in the amelioration of ulcer and stomach inflammation.