The present study was designed to clarify the effects of an
ethanol extract of
artichoke leaf on acute gastric mucosal injury in rats.
Oral administration of
artichoke leaf extract dose-dependently prevented absolute
ethanol-induced (125-500 mg/kg) or restraint plus water immersion stress-induced gastric mucosal injury (1000-2000 mg/kg). The
artichoke leaf extract contains 1%
cynaropicrin and 0.8%
chlorogenic acid as main components and 70%
dextrin as a vehicle.
Cynaropicrin at doses of 1/100 of
artichoke leaf extract [
ethanol-induced mucosal injury: 5 mg/kg, per os (p.o.); stress-induced mucosal injury: 20 mg/kg, p.o.] also prevented gastric mucosal injury in both animal models. However,
dextrin and
chlorogenic acid at doses contained in the leaf extract were ineffective in both models. When
artichoke leaf extract was given orally to normal rats, it (500-2000 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently increased gastric mucus content. In addition, it (125-500 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently prevented the decrease in gastric mucus content by absolute
ethanol. When the effects of
artichoke leaf extract on basal gastric acid secretion in rats were evaluated, it (500-2000 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently increased the volume of gastric juice in normal rats. However, it was ineffective in decreasing basal gastric acid secretion in normal rats. These results indicate that
artichoke leaf extract is effective against acute
gastritis and its beneficial effect is due to that of
cynaropicrin. The gastric mucus-increasing action of
artichoke leaf extract may be, at least in part, related to the anti-gastritic action of the extract.