Antiulcerogenic effect of some gastrointestinally acting plant extracts and their combination

Extracts from the plants Iberis amara, Melissa officinalis, Matricaria recutita, Carum carvi, Mentha x piperita, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Angelica archangelica, Silybum marianum and Chelidonium majus, singly and combined in the form of a commercial preparation, STW 5 (Iberogast) and a modified formulation, STW 5-II, lacking the last 3 constituents, were tested for their potential anti-ulcerogenic activity against indometacin induced gastric ulcers of the rat as well as for their antisecretory and cytoprotective activities. All extracts produced a dose dependent anti-ulcerogenic activity associated with a reduced acid output and an increased mucin secretion, an increase in prostaglandin E2 release and a decrease in leukotrienes. The effect on pepsin content was rather variable and did not seem to bear a relationship with the anti-ulcerogenic activity. The most beneficial effects were observed with the combined formulations STW 5 and STW 5-II in a dose of 10 ml/kg b.w., comparable with cimetidine in a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w. The anti-ulcerogenic activity of the extracts was also confirmed histologically. The cytoprotective effect of the extracts could be partly due to their flavonoid content and to their free radical scavenging properties.