Peptic ulcer disease remains a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder worldwide. Current treatments often have limitations, sparking interest in alternative therapies from medicinal plants. This review examines the gastroprotective potential of 54 North African medicinal plants against peptic ulcers. An extensive literature search was conducted, focusing on plants with preclinical and clinical evidence of anti‐ulcer efficacy and documented use in North African traditional medicine. The review identified several promising plant species, such as licorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra ), chamomile ( Matricaria chamomilla ), olive ( Olea europaea ), pomegranate ( Punica granatum ), Aloe vera, and black seed ( Nigella sativa ), along with their bioactive constituents, including flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids. These compounds exhibit gastroprotective properties through multiple mechanisms, such as enhancing the gastric mucosal barrier, inhibiting acid secretion, displaying antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects, promoting ulcer healing, and combating Helicobacter pylori infection. The evidence presented includes in vitro assays, animal models, and some clinical studies. While many of the 53 plants reviewed demonstrated significant anti‐ulcer effects compared to standard drugs, further clinical research is needed to establish efficacy and safety in humans. The synergistic actions of phytochemical mixtures in medicinal plant extracts likely contribute to their therapeutic potential. This review highlights the role these North African medicinal plants may play in the prevention and treatment of peptic ulcers and identifies promising candidates for further research and development of evidence‐based botanical therapies.

Phytochemical compounds are known to be components of many plants and herbs; they have received great interest from the public and scientists due to their health benefits as antioxidants. The aim of the present study was to reveal the bioactive compounds and evaluation of antioxidant activity of the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and residual water extracts of Atractylis aristata. The bioactive compounds analysis was investigated using HPLC-UV analysis obtained at 254nm and optimized with 16 standards, ABTS and DPPH methods were used for estimating the antioxidant capacity. Thirteen bioactive compounds were identified in the extracts by comparing the retention time. Major compounds detected in the extracts were Acetylsalicylic acid, Ascorbic acid, Gallic acid, Quercetin and Vanillin. All extracts give an antioxidant capacity varied with polarity of solvents. The residual water extract demonstrated a significant amount of total phenolics, flavonoids and condensed tannins (3.544±0.738mg of GAE/g DW, 3.104±0.6760mg of QE/g DW and 2.692±0.561mg of CE/g DW, respectively). In two methods tested to evaluate the antioxidant activity, ethyl acetate extract displayed the highest antioxidant capacity (IC50 value: 0.097±0.003mg/ml in DPPH assay and IC50 value: 0.077±0.003mg/ml in ABTS assay).

Medicinal plants possess the potential to yield bioactive compounds that offer significant health benefits; positioning them as valuable and promising sources for the development of innovative pharmaceutical products. This study aims to comprehensively assess the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological effects of the aqueous extract of the plant Atractylis aristata (AEAA) as well as assessments of its phytochemical composition. UPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS analysis of AEAA revealed a variety of bioactive compounds, including flavonoids and phenolic acids. In antioxidant assays, AEAA demonstrated considerable activity, with IC ₅₀ values of 0.269±0.05 mg/mL for DPPH scavenging and 0.0376±0.003 mg/mL for hydrogen peroxide radical inhibition. AEAA exhibited strong anti‐inflammatory activity in vitro , with an IC ₅₀ value of 2.563 mg/mL in the BSA denaturation test. In vivo , AEAA reduced carrageenan‐induced paw edema by 56.51 %, in comparison to an 83.58 % reduction with Ibuprofen®. Antibacterial testing showed AEAA′s broad‐spectrum activity, with the highest inhibition against Bacillus subtilis (34 mm zone of inhibition). Additionally, AEAA induced significant sedative effects, reducing locomotor activity by 48.98 %. These findings underscore the diverse pharmacological potential in addressing oxidative stress, inflammation, microbial infections, and anxiety of A. aristata , which can be attributed to its rich phytochemical profile.