Phy-Blica-D is a traditional Thai polyherbal formula that has reduced oxidative stress in non-communicable diseases. However, evidence supporting the gastroprotective effects of Phy-Blica-D has not been previously reported. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the gastroprotective effects of Phy-Blica-D against gastric ulcers in rats and investigate the potential underlying mechanism. To estimate the possible mechanisms of action, we examined the levels of oxidative stress markers, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH). According to our results, rats treated with only 80% ethanol (vehicle group) exhibited significant increases in their ulcer area and ulcer index (UI). Moreover, the levels of ROS and MDA markedly increased in the vehicle group compared with the normal control group. Daily oral administration of Phy-Blica-D (500 and 1000 mg/kg) for 7 days not only significantly decreased the ulcer area and UI, but also remarkably decreased the ROS and MDA levels in gastric tissue. Gastric ulcers induced by ethanol had significantly decreased antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT and SOD) and non-enzymatic antioxidant (GSH), whereas pretreatment with Phy-Blica-D significantly improved the activities of CAT, SOD, and GSH. Moreover, after exposure to ethanol, the rats exhibited a significantly increased level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which was reduced after treatment with Phy-Blica-D. These findings suggest that Phy-Blica-D potentially exerts its gastroprotective effects by suppressing oxidative stress and stimulating antioxidant enzymes, which is one of the causes of destruction of cell membranes, and it is involved in the pathogenesis of acute gastric ulcers induced by ethanol.

Background. The world population has exhibited increased trust in folk medicine, including Thai folk medicine, for the treatment of various illnesses. However, the comparative antioxidant and cytoprotective activities against oxidative damage of Tri-Than-Thip (Tri-TT), a Thai folk remedy, have not been reported. Objectives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant capacities of Tri-TT and its herbal constituents, Cassia fistula, Pithecellobium dulce, and Ficus benjamina. Methods. Extracts were obtained from Tri-TT and its herbal constituents. The free radical scavenging activities, cytotoxicity, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), metal chelating activities, total phenolic compound (TPC) contents, and total flavonoid (TF) contents of Tri-TT extract were investigated, and qualitative analysis of the chemical composition of Tri-TT extract was performed by LC-QTOF-MS. Results. Tri-TT extract exhibited remarkable scavenging activities toward DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide anion radicals, with IC₅₀ values of 0.081±0.00, 0.021±0.00, and 0.205±0.057mg/mL, respectively. The oxygen radical antioxidant capacity (ORAC) and FRAP values of Tri-TT were 6.499±0.67μMTE/g extract and 1,919.71±63.14mM FeSO₄/mg sample, respectively. P. dulce had the highest scavenging activities and antioxidant capacity followed by C. fistula and F. benjamina. The TPC and TF content of Tri-TT extract were 287.87mg equivalence/g extract and 225.62mg catechin equivalent/g extract, respectively. The highest TPC was obtained from P. dulce, and TF content was observed in C. fistula. Using LC-QTOF-MS, a total of 25 compounds were tentatively identified in Tri-TT, including polyphenols such as luteolin, gallic acid, baicalein, apigenin, epicatechin, and ellagic acid. In addition, Tri-TT extract demonstrated nontoxicity (cell viability >90) to Vero cells at the highest tested concentration of 80μg/mL. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that the Tri-TT remedy is a promising candidate as a natural source of antioxidant activity, suggesting that the polyphenol content of plants may contribute to antioxidant activities.

Tri-Yannarose is a Thai traditional herbal medicine formula composed of Areca catechu, Azadirachta indica, and Tinospora crispa. It possesses antipyretic, diuretic, expectorant, and appetite-stimulating effects. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activities, cytotoxicity, and chemical constituents of an aqueous extract following a Tri-Yannarose recipe and its plant ingredients. The phytochemical analysis was performed using LC-QTOF-MS. Antioxidant activities were determined using DPPH, ABTS, TPC, TFC, FRAP, NBT, MCA, and ORAC assays. Cytotoxicity was investigated using a methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay. In addition, the relationship between the chemical composition of Tri-Yannarose and antioxidant activities was investigated by examining the structure–activity relationship (SAR). The results of the LC-QTOF-MS analysis revealed trigonelline, succinic acid, citric acid, and other chemical constituents. The aqueous extract of the recipe showed significant scavenging effects against ABTS and DPPH radicals, with IC₅₀ values of 1054.843 ± 151.330 and 747.210 ± 44.173 µg/mL, respectively. The TPC of the recipe was 92.685 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g of extract and the TFC was 14.160 mg of catechin equivalent/g of extract. All extracts demonstrated lower toxicity in the Vero cell line according to the MTT assay. In addition, the SAR analysis indicated that prenyl arabinosyl-(1–6)-glucoside and quinic acid were the primary antioxidant compounds in the Tri-Yannarose extract. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Tri-Yannarose and its plant ingredients have potent antioxidant activities with low toxicity. These results support the application of the Tri-Yannarose recipe for the management of a range of disorders related to oxidative stress.

Nigella sativa L. and black seeds are traditionally used for cooking and medicinal purposes in Arab and other countries. Although N. sativa seed extract has many known biological effects, the biological effects of cold-pressed N. sativa oil are poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the gastroprotective effects and subacute oral toxicity of black seed oil (BSO) in an animal model. The gastroprotective effects of oral BSO (50% and 100%; 1 mg/kg) were tested using acute experimental models of ethanol-induced gastric ulcers. Gross and histological gastric lesions, ulcerated gastric areas, ulcer index score, percentage of inhibition rate, gastric juice pH, and gastric wall mucus were all evaluated. The subacute toxicity of BSO and its thymoquinone (TQ) content were also examined. The results indicated that the administration of BSO exerted gastroprotective effects by increasing the gastric wall mucus and decreasing gastric juice acidity. In the subacute toxicity test, the animals behaved normally, and their weight and water and food intake did not show significant variations. High-performance liquid chromatography detected 7.3 mg/mL TQ in BSO. These findings suggest that BSO may be a safe therapeutic drug for preventing gastric ulcers.