Zizyphus lotus L. is a common medicinal plant used in Moroccan folk medicine to treat many gastrointestinal disorders such as ulcers and diarrhea. In this paper, we aim to evaluate the anti-ulcer properties of Z. lotus (fruits) methanol extract (ZLM) in various experimental models, as well as to evaluate its anti-Helicobacter pylori and anti-scavenging properties. Anti-ulcer studies were performed in three ulcerogenic induced models (HCl/EtOH, pylorus ligature and Aspirin) in Wistar rats. Up to 500 mg/kg body weight, ZLM produced a non-significant inhibition in the acute ulcer induced by HCl/EtOH solution and a significant effect on the aspirin model (46.2 %). The anti-ulcer effect was lower, for both models, compared to cimetidine and omeprazole used as positive controls. ZLM showed a significant reduction of gastric juice secretion and total acidity and an increase in pH value in pylorus-ligature model similarly to positive controls. ZLM inhibited, at 128 µg/ml, three H. pylori clinical strains among which two were resistant to both metronidazole and clarythromycine. ZLM showed a moderate scavenging capacity in DPPH assay (IC50= 477.6 ± 47.6 µg/ml). ZLM extract act essentially as antacid agent, which support the use of this plant in the traditional Moroccan medicine to cure gastrointestinal disorders.
Key words: Moroccan folk medicine, Zizyphus lotus (L.), antioxidant potential, gastric ulcer, Helicobacter pylori.
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