ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE:Aloysia polystachya (Griseb.) Moldenke is a medicinal plant that has long been used in South American medicine to treat a variety of diseases, most notably gastrointestinal issues. Despite its well-known ethnobotanical usage, this plant's putative anti-gastric ulcer action has yet to be investigated.
AIM OF THE STUDY:To evaluate the gastroprotective and gastric healing effects of the hydroalcoholic extract from Aloysia polystachya (HEAp) and its bioactive compound, carvone, through both in vivo and in silico approaches. Additionally, it seeks to elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms underlying these biological effects.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:First, phytochemical tests were performed with HEAp. Next, to demonstrate the gastroprotective activities, rats were orally treated with HEAp (30, 100, or 300 mg/kg) or carvone (3 mg/kg) before induction with ulcerative agents (ethanol or piroxicam). Furthermore, the role of prostaglandins, α-2 adrenergic receptors, nitric oxide, and sulfhydryl compounds were investigated. Additionally, the antisecretory activity of HEAp was investigated using a pylorus ligation model. For gastric healing analysis, acetic acid-induced chronic ulcer was used, in which rats were treated with HEAp at 100 mg/kg. Biochemical evaluations included measurements of myeloperoxidase (MPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reduced (GSH) levels, and lipid peroxides (LPO) in ulcerated tissues. Finally, computational studies, including network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses, were conducted to explore the potential pharmacological targets of HEAp phytoconstituents.
RESULTS:Mass spectrometry analysis (ESI-MS) identified four compounds: caffeic, p-coumaric, gallic acids, and epigallocatechin, which, along with carvone, were used in the in-silico analyses. Oral administration of HEAp (100 or 300 mg/kg) and carvone (3 mg/kg) significantly prevented ethanol- and piroxicam-induced gastric ulcers, as corroborated by histopathological assessments. Furthermore, pretreatment with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) abolished the gastroprotective effects of both agents, implicating the involvement of sulfhydryl compounds in their modes of action. In the pylorus ligation assay, carvone (3 mg/kg) notably increased gastric pH and reduced acidity and peptic activity, mirroring the effects of omeprazole. Additionally, HEAp (100 mg/kg) and carvone (3 mg/kg) accelerated acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer healing by 75.06 % and 76.18 %, respectively, as supported by histological and histochemical analyses. Moreover, the healing effects of HEAp and carvone diminished MPO activity and LPO, along with elevated GSH levels and enhanced GST and SOD activities. In silico, carvone presented a binding mode similar to the co-crystallized substrate vonoprazan and effective interactions with the protein MPO, which highlights the compound's potential as a natural therapeutic agent for the treatment of gastric ulcers.
CONCLUSION:The findings of this study demonstrate that the hydroalcoholic extract of A. polystachya (HEAp) and its bioactive compound carvone possess significant gastroprotective and gastric healing properties. These effects are likely mediated through the modulation of sulfhydryl compounds, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant defenses, and antisecretory mechanisms. The identification of phenolic constituents, combined with in silico analyses, further supports the potential therapeutic relevance of HEAp and carvone. Collectively, these results highlight that the phytoconstituents from A. polystachya corroborate the traditional use of the plant and are promising candidates for the investigation of anti-ulcer gastric agents.