Mitigating effect of Avicenna marina on indomethacin induced gastric ulcer in male albino rats

• The ulcerogenic effect of indomethacin on gastric wall was studied.
• Pre-administration with Avicenna marina protects the gastric wall against indomethacin effect.
• The anti-ulcer effect of Avicenna marina may be attributed to the presence of polyphenols.
• The effect of Avicenna marina on inflammatory markers and prostaglandin was studied.

The aqueous extract of Avicenna marina (AM) has been suggested to be useful in the treatment of various diseases. In this study, the protective effect of oral administration of Avicenna marina extract against oxidative gastric mucosal injury induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), indomethacin in rats was investigated. The aqueous extract of Avicenna marina was given by oral gavages (125 mg /kg) three times at 12 h intervals before administering indomethacin (20 mg/kg). The level of prostaglandin (PGE2) and pH gradient were markedly decreased following indomethacin treatment, with increase in acid volume. In addition, tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and the lipid peroxidation products malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly increased 6 h after oral administration of indomethacin in rats gastric mucosa indicating acute inflammatory injury. Pretreatment with AM abolished indomethacin induced elevation of TNF-α, TGF-β1 and MAD levels. In indomethacin-treated rats, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities as well as reduced glutathione (GSH) content were significantly diminished in gastric mucosa. However, pre-administration with AM maintains the level of these parameters near to the control value. Thus, these results indicate the effective anti-peroxidative and preventive actions of AM against indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage.