Abarema cochliacarpos: Gastroprotective and ulcer-healing activities

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 132; no. 1; pp. 134 - 142
• Main Authors: da Silva, Maria Silene, de Almeida, Ana Cristina Alves, de Faria, Felipe Meira, Luiz-Ferreira, Anderson, da Silva, Marcelo Aparecido, Vilegas, Wagner, Pellizzon, Cláudia Helena, Brito, Alba Regina Monteiro Souza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 28-10-2010; Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier; Elsevier
• Subjects: Abarema; Abarema cochliacarpos; animal models; Animals; Anti-Ulcer Agents - isolation & purification; Anti-Ulcer Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Ulcer Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Ulcer Agents - toxicity; bark; Biological and medical sciences; cell proliferation; cell proliferation factors; chloroform; COX-2; Disease Models, Animal; dosage; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; fractionation; gastric juice; gastric mucosa; Gastric Mucosa - drug effects; Gastric Mucosa - pathology; Gastric Mucosa - secretion; gastritis; gastroprotective effect; General pharmacology; Healing ulcer; herbal medicines; HSP-70; Male; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; methanol; Mice; Mimosaceae; oral administration; PCNA; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Bark - chemistry; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Extracts - toxicity; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Plants, Medicinal - growth & development; Polyphenols; protective effect; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Stomach Ulcer - drug therapy; Stomach Ulcer - metabolism; Stomach Ulcer - pathology; stomach ulcers; tissue repair; Toxicity Tests, Acute; VEGF; Brazil; AC; CE; Abarema cochliacarpos; PAS; PCNA; COX-2; AF; COX- 2; VEGF; PGE 2; Mimosaceae; HSP-70; Healing ulcer; AQF; ME; Polyphenols; VIP; HE; Cyclooxygenase 2; Medicinal plant; Polyphenol; Healing agent; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Ulcer; Heat shock protein 70; Enzyme; Pharmacognosy; Vascular endothelium growth factor; Leguminosae; Plant origin; Phenols; Spermatophyta; Oxidoreductases; PCNA antigen
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.08.001

Extracts obtained from
Abarema cochliacarpos bark possess active substances, which exert marked protective anti-ulcerogenic effects and healing ulcer.
Abarema cochliacarpos (Gomes) Barneby & Grimes (Mimosaceae) is a species – in folk medicine of Lagarto city, Sergipe state, northeastern Brazil – reputed to heal gastric ulcer and gastritis.
Chloroform (CE) and methanolic (ME) extracts as well as ethyl acetate fraction (AF), butanolic fraction (AC) and aqueous fraction (AQF) of the methanolic extract of
Abarema cochliacarpos bark were evaluated against acute gastric ulcer. The AC fraction was selected to assess its activity in ulcer healing and its gastroprotective effects via mucus and gastric secretion.
The gastroprotective action of CE and ME extracts and the fractions of the latter were evaluated in a rodent experimental model. The action mechanisms, involvements of the antisecretory action and mucus production, toxicological and healing activity of the AC (150
mg/kg, p.o.) were evaluated. We also used histological analysis (HE and PAS) and immunohistochemical (PCNA, COX-2, VEGF and HSP-70) assays to evaluate the effects of
Abarema cochliacarpos.
CE (200 and 400
mg/kg, p.o.) and ME (100, 200 and 400
mg/kg, p.o.) extracts were able to protect gastric mucosa against absolute ethanol. Respective inhibitions produced were: 65.31% and 83.80% by the first; 91.69%, 96.75% and 99.80% by the second; and 74.24% by the AC fraction. Antisecretory and mucus production effects were exhibited by the AC fraction, which also accelerated the healing of ulcerated gastric mucosa by stimulating proliferation factors (PCNA) and induced healing factors including COX-2, VEGF and HSP-70.
All these results suggest that
Abarema cochliacarpos (Gomes) Barneby & Grimes presents gastroprotective effects and wound-healing properties.