TCM compound effectively reduces gastric ulcers, study shows

By Millette Burgos

- Last updated on GMT

Licoflavone from a TCM herb helped reduce gastric ulcers in rats.©iStock
Licoflavone from a TCM herb helped reduce gastric ulcers in rats.©iStock

Related tags Amino acid Protein

Licoflavone, a major compound from the Glycyrrhiza root used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, can help reduce gastric ulcers, according to new research. 

Researchers from the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dalian, China, said licoflavone was key in regulating inflammation mediators and the amino acid metabolism in rats with induced gastric ulcers.

“Through the data analysis, we speculated that licoflavone could regulate the content of small molecule metabolites effectively in rats, including histamine, tryptophan, and arachidonic acid,”​ they wrote in a paper published on the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

“These metabolites mainly regulate the inflammation responses and amino acid metabolism to play the role of treating gastric ulcer.”

Researchers also examined the amount of erosion in the rats’ stomachs following the induced ulcers combined with administered doses of licoflavone and anti-ulcer medications ranitidine and omeprazole.

The rat study had seven groups: control, model, ranitidine, omeprazole, and high, medium, and low licoflavone dose groups. Rats were given acetic acid to induce gastric ulcer.

Ulcer index value 

The study’s ulcer index value showed that the model group had the worst gastric mucosal injury, almost 50% more, compared to the three licoflavone groups, and the two anti-ulcer drug groups.

Meanwhile, the smallest ulcer injuries were from the middle licoflavone dose and omeprazole rats. The sizes of ulcers from the high and low dose licoflavone and ranitidine rats were all similar.

“Compared with model group, licoflavone can effectively cure the gastric ulcer, particularly the middle dose group,” ​researchers wrote.

“Sixteen different metabolites were identified in this study, which are mainly related to inflammatory mediators and amino acids, so we could also speculate that licoflavone can be used to cure gastric ulcer by regulating inflammation mediators and amino acid metabolism,”​ they added.

They argued their work provides a laboratory basis for the clinical application of licoflavone.

Based on further perfecting the theory that anti-ulcer effects of licoflavone by regulating inflammation mediators, we put forward to the new mechanism that licoflavone may regulate amino acids metabolism curing gastric ulcer,”​ they concluded.

Source:  Journal of Ethnopharmacology

DOI:10.1016/j.jep.2017.01.053

“Anti-ulcer effect and potential mechanism of licoflavone by regulating inflammation mediators and amino acid metabolism”

Authors: Yi Yanga, Shuai Wanga et al.

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