Gastroprotective activity of the methanol extract from peels of Plinia edulis (Vell.) Sobral fruits and its isolated triterpenes: maslinic and ursolic acids

Abstract

According to the Brazilian folk medicine, the leaves of Plinia edulis (Vell.) Sobral (Myrtaceae), known as cambuca, are indicated in the treatment of gastric disorders. Infusions of P. edulis leaves were previously demonstrated to contain both maslinic (MA) and ursolic acids (UA). Both triterpenes have also been identified in the methanolic extract of peels from P. edulis fruit (MEPPE); however, the antiulcer effects of MEPPE have not yet been studied. This study therefore evaluates the gastroprotective potential of MEPPE, MA, and UA using ethanol/HCl- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers in mice. In addition, the in vitro effects of these compounds on the H⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity and on the free radical DPPH were measured. When used at concentration of 100 μg/mL, both MEPPE and UA were found to reduce the DPPH radical levels by 78.66 and 60.14%, respectively. However, MA did not reduce DPPH radical levels. Our results illustrated the antiulcer effects of MEPPE, MA, and UA against experimental ulcer models when administered by either the oral or the intraperitoneal routes. In addition, MEPPE reduced the size of ethanol/HCl-induced ulcers in a dose-dependent manner (log half-maximal effective oral dose, LogED₅₀ = 1.09). Interestingly, UA promoted gastroprotection at lower doses than MA by increasing the production of mucin levels at 692%; however, it does not alter the activity of H⁺, K⁺-ATPase. In contrast, both MEPPE and MA, when incubated at concentrations of 10 and 100 μg/mL, inhibited H⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity in 61.81, 68.37, 54.04, and 70.45%, respectively. These results confirm that MEPPE, MA, and UA display gastroprotective activity through different modes of action; MA inhibits H⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity, whereas UA favour the mucus barrier.

Keywords: Antiulcer; Fruits; Gastric ulcer; H+, K+-ATPase; Triterpene.