Gastroprotective Effects of Various Scrophularia striata Extracts on Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of various extracts of S. striata in ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in rats. 100 male rats were divided into 10 groups and received the following medications: Normal control group without treatment; comparative standard control group received 20 mg/kg omeprazole; Groups 4-9 were given aqueous, hydroalcoholic and etheric extracts at 100 and 400 mg/kg, respectively; vehicle control group given DMSO as solvent solution. After one hour all the rats (except normal control group) and also ulcer control group were given 4 mL/kg 75% EtOH solution to induce ulceration. The rats were sacrificed after one hour; the gastric mucosal injuries were estimated through assessment of the gross appearance of ulcer areas, histopathology and parameters including MDA, TAC, PGE2 and HSP70 in the gastric tissue homogenate. The ulcer control group showed severe mucosal injury compared with aqueous and etheric extracts which grossly showed significant reduction of ulcer areas and histopathologically showed marked reduction of mucosal necrosis, edema and leukocytes infiltration. A significant increase in the levels of HSP70, PGE2 and TAC with a reduction in the level of MDA was observed in the rats treated with etheric and especially aqueous extracts. The results of the present study revealed significant protection of S. striata towards ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury.