Gastroduodenal ulcer protective activity of Asparagus racemosus: an experimental, biochemical and histological study

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Abstract

Asparagus racemosus is an Ayurvedic rasayana, which finds mention in ancient Indian texts for treatment of gastric ulcers. The ulcer protective effect of methanolic extract of fresh roots of A. racemosus (ARM), 25–100 mg/kg given orally, twice daily for 5 days, was studied on different gastroduodenal ulcer models. ARM 50 mg/kg, twice daily, orally (total saponins 0.9%) showed significant protection against acute gastric ulcers induced by cold restraint stress (CRS), pyloric ligation, aspirin plus pyloric ligation, and duodenal ulcers induced by cysteamine. ARM in the above dose also significantly healed chronic gastric ulcers induced by acetic acid after 10 days treatment. However, ARM was ineffective against aspirin- and ethanol-induced gastric ulcers. Further, gastric juice and mucosal studies showed that ARM significantly increased the mucosal defensive factors like mucus secretion, cellular mucus, life span of cells and also possessed significant anti-oxidant effect, but had little or no effect on offensive factors like acid and pepsin.

Introduction

Gastric ulcers arise due to various factors (McGuigan, 1991). Even though the etiology of gastric ulcers is still debated, it is accepted that ulcers are caused due to net imbalances in mucosal offensive and defensive factors (Goel and Bhattacharya, 1991). Ulcer therapy is now mainly focused on limiting the deleterious effects of offensive acid secretion, but the search for new safer alternative drugs have rekindled the interest in cytoprotective drugs, which protect the gastric mucosa from damaging agents without influencing acid secretion or neutralising intragastric acidity (Robert, 1979). Although few drugs like sucralfate and prostaglandin analogs, i.e. misoprostol are recognised as cytoprotective agents (Vergin and Kori-Lindner, 1990), many natural drugs have been reported to possess this activity (Goel et al., 1985, Rao et al., 2000, Sairam et al., 2001).

In Ayurveda, an ancient system of Indian medicine, gastric disorders are classified as sula, parinamasula and amlapitta, which are very similar to modern classification of clinical conditions of peptic ulcer and functional dyspepsia (non-ulcer dyspepsia) (Sharma, 1994a, Sharma, 1994b). Asparagus racemosus Willd. (family Liliaceae) is a well-known Ayurvedic rasayana, and its root paste or root juice has been advocated in various ailments including in the treatment of peptic ulcer (Sharma, 2001). The Ayurvedic concept of rasayana consists of specialised class of drugs which prevent ageing, increase longevity, impart immunity, improve mental functions and add vigor and vitality to the body (Sharma, 2001) and are akin to modern classification of adaptogens. According to Lozavev, the medical substances, which increase non-specific resistance, are termed as adaptogens (Brekman and Dardymov, 1969). In consonant, A. racemosus (AR) has been reported to have potent adaptogenic activity (Rege et al., 1999). AR has also been reported to decrease gastric emptying time (Dalvi et al., 1990). Change in gastric emptying has been reported to be responsible for genesis of ulcers (Mangla et al., 1989). Free radicals have been reported to be responsible for many ailments including gastroduodenal ulcers (Richards and Sharma, 1991). Polysaccharide fraction of AR has been reported to possess significant anti-oxidant activity in vitro (Kamat et al., 2000). These properties of AR make it a potential anti-ulcer drug for evaluation. Recently, fresh root juice of A. racemosus with honey was reported to be effective in dyspepsia (CSIR Publications, 1992). Moreover, in a preliminary study from our laboratory, the anti-ulcerogenic activity of fresh juice of AR was reported (De et al., 1997).

AR was quantified for total saponins and was reported to contain active saponins, shatavarin I–IV (Joshi and Suck Dev, 1988). The present study incorporates the evaluation of gastroduodenal ulcer, protective and gastric ulcer healing effects of methanolic extracts of fresh roots of A. racemosus standardised to total saponins. To further elucidate its mechanism of actions, effects on offensive factors like acid–pepsin secretion and defensive factors like mucin secretion, cellular mucus, life span of mucosal cells, cell proliferation and anti-oxidant effects were also evaluated.

Section snippets

Animals

Inbred Charles–Foster (CF) albino rats (130–180 g), of either sex, obtained from the central animal house of our Institute were used for the study. They were kept in the departmental animal house at 26±2 °C and relative humidity 44–56%, light and dark cycles of 10 and 14 h, respectively, for 1 week before and during the experiments. Animals were provided with standard rodent pellet diet (Hind liver) and the food was withdrawn 18–24 h before the experiment though water was allowed ad libitum. ‘

Results

Methanolic extract of A. racemosus 25–100 mg/kg, given orally, twice daily for 5 days showed dose-dependent protective effect against gastric ulcers induced by cold restraint stress, pyloric ligation and aspirin plus pyloric ligation. However, it was ineffective against aspirin- and ethanol-induced gastric ulcers (Table 1). ARM 50 mg/kg significantly protected the animals against cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcers (Table 1) and healed acetic acid-induced chronic ulcers after 10 days of treatment (

Discussion and conclusion

ARM showed significant dose-dependant ulcer protective effect against cold restraint stress- and pyloric ligation-induced gastric ulcers and was also effective against cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcers in rats. However, ARM was ineffective against ethanol- and aspirin-induced gastric ulcers. The anomality in ulcer protective effect may be due to variability of factors affecting ulcerogenesis in different models. Basically, ulcers are caused due to imbalances between offensive and defensive

Acknowledgements

RKG is thankful to University Grants Commission, New Delhi for grant-in-aid. The authors are thankful to Herbs Ltd. (IH), Saharanpur, India for technical facilities provided for chemical standardization of the extract.

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