Plants with Anti-Ulcer Activity and Mechanism: A Review of Preclinical and Clinical Studies.

Ulcer disorders including the oral mucosa, large intestine, and stomach mucosa, cause significant global health burdens. Conventional treatments such as non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), histamine H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), and cytoprotective agents have drawbacks like mucosal injury, diminish gastric acid secretion, and interact with concurrent medications. Therefore, alternative therapeutic approaches are needed to tackle this health concern. Plants are rich in active metabolites in the bark, roots, leaves, fruits, and seeds, and have been utilized for medicinal purposes since ancient times. The use of herbal therapy is crucial, and regulations are necessary to ensure the quality of products, particularly in randomized studies, to assess their efficacy and safety in treating ulcer disorders. This study aims to explore the anti-ulcer activity of medicinal plants in treating peptic ulcer disease, ulcerative colitis, and aphthous ulcers. Articles were searched in Scopus and PubMed, and filtered for publication from 2013 to 2023, resulting in a total of 460 from Scopus and 239 from PubMed. The articles were further screened by title and abstract and resulted in 55 articles. Natural products, rich in active metabolites, were described to manage ulcer disease by protecting the mucosa, reducing ulcer effects, inhibiting pro-inflammatory factors, and reducing bacterial load, thus improving patients' quality of life. Natural extracts have proven effective in managing other health problems, including ulcers by reducing pain and decreasing lesions. This review provides an overview of preclinical and clinical studies on medicinal plants, focusing on their effectiveness in treating conditions like peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and aphthous ulcers.

The role of selenium in cell survival and its correlation with protective effects against cardiovascular disease: A literature review.

Selenium is a trace element that provides protection against cellular damage and death. Previous research using several types of cells identified anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects for selenium. One of the diseases related to selenium is cardiovascular disease, as low selenium intake has been linked to cardiomyopathy. However, the mechanism of the cardioprotective effects of selenium is not thoroughly understood. Several studies supported the possible effects of selenium on heart cell survival. In this review, we analyzed recent research (2015-2020) on the roles and mechanism of action of selenium in cell survival and its cardioprotective effects. Furthermore, the prevention of apoptosis through both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways is discussed in this review. Signalling pathways that regulate cell survival such as the p-AMPK, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1, nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2, AKT/PI3K, and STAT pathways are involved in the protective effects of selenium. In addition, signaling pathways that affect heart cell survival include the AKT and STAT pathways. It also affects autophagy through the PPAR-γ pathway. These findings should facilitate further research on the cardioprotective effects of selenium.

The formulation of lozenge using black mulberries (Morus nigra L.) leaf extract as an α-glucosidase inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease, which possibly leads to kidney, brain, heart failure, and other organ complications, subsequently harming human health. These symptoms have been prevented using the leaf of black mulberry (BM), as a traditional medicine, because the phenolic compounds contained are able to decrease blood glucose concentration. Meanwhile, previous reports have shown that BM contains 1-deoxynojirimycin, with strong activity as an α-glucosidase inhibitor. The aim of this study, therefore, was to formulate and evaluate BM leaf extract in lozenge dosage form as an α-glucosidase inhibitor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The leaves of BM were extracted using the maceration method, where ethanol (70%) served as a solvent, and the inhibitory activity of the sourced α-glucosidase enzyme was determined through in vitro study. Subsequently, the extract was formulated into lozenge dosage form and evaluated for physical stability and also the effect of α-glucosidase enzyme. RESULTS: The result showed an inhibitory activity of BM leaf extract against the enzyme α-glucosidase, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 357.6 µg/mL, whereas the lozenge formulation containing 43% of extract as well as 5% polyvinylpyrrolidone showed the best physical stability as compared to other formulas. However, the lozenge inhibits α-glucosidase enzyme with an IC50 value of 549.7 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: It was established that the lozenge of BM leaf extract possesses activity as an α-glucosidase inhibitor.