This study investigated the gastrointestinal (GI) protective effect of water and ethanol extracts of Morus alba leaves in rats who received indomethacin. Rats were randomly distributed into nine groups: a control group, an indomethacin group, and seven groups pre-treated orally with either water and ethanol extracts of M. alba leaves (500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg) or omeprazole (100 mg/kg) for 5 days before receiving oral indomethacin (40 mg/kg). After 24-hour treatment, GI lesions, apoptotic proteins, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in gastric and jejunal tissues were evaluated by macro- and microscopic assessments, western blot analysis, and ELISA, respectively. Both extracts prevented ulcerative lesions in rat jejunum, but not in the stomach. Their intestinal protection involved suppressing protein kinase R-like ER kinase/C/EBP homologous protein signaling and the Bcl-2-associated X protein/B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 protein (Bax/Bcl-2) ratio. Both extracts did not affect PGE2 levels in rat GI tissues, which might explain their inability to prevent gastric ulcers.
Key words: Gastro-intestinal ulcers, Mulberry leaves, NSAIDs, Endoplasmic reticulum stress prevention, Stress-induced apoptosis
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